Tell me I’m not the only one who’s a tad excited about Shrove Tuesday tomorrow!  I’m not a Christian and don’t plan on giving up anything for Lent, but that ain’t stopping me from celebrating Pancake Day.   After all, it’s only right we embrace all religions, right ;)!  While oatmeal tends to my breakfast of choice, I do occasionally enjoy pancakes.  Even though they are incredibly easy to make, pancakes always feel like a hearty & decadent breakfast. 

Contrary to the negative stigma surrounding pancakes, they can actually be a powerhouse of ingredients.  Forget scrambled eggs on toast for a balanced breakfast- pancakes are the way forward.  Here are some tricks of the trade which will enable you to eat pancakes regularly, guilt-free:

• Make them from scratch.  Yes, Eggos make low-fat varieties but the amount of other crap that goes in them and their lack of staying power trump the low caloric value.
• Instead of icky white flour, use oat, whole-wheat, chickpea, or spelt flour …or a combination
• Boost your vitamin intake by adding mashed banana, strawberries or blueberries to the batter.  This will also add sweetness to the pancakes, au naturel. 
• To round up the meal with healthy fats, add a tablespoon of ground flax to the batter
• For a fluffier texture, mix yogurt or cottage cheese to the batter
• Containing merely 12 calories per tablespoon , a teaspoon of unsweetened cocoa powder is more than enough to produce a chocolately flavor
• Although most pancakes call for eggs, it doesn’t mean vegetarians & vegans can’t join in the fun: combine ½ cup oats with 1/3 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp vanilla, 1tsp cinnamon and 1/3 cup milk.  

There’s no use making healthy pancakes if you’re going to ruin them with caloric toppings like whipped cream.  Instead, try these for good measure:

• Peanut butter & fruit preserves (the new and improved PB&J sandwich)
• Chocolate chips.  Yes for real: as long as you stick to a small portion, it barely adds any calories yet it does wonders to the taste.  Top with a serving of warmed & pitted cherries and consider it Black Forest.
• Faux ‘strawberries & cream’– i.e. a generous serving of strawberries with Greek yogurt and honey
• Warmed apple slices and banana with cinnamon….ooey gooey deliciousness
• Applesauce
• Canned pie fillings like pumpkin, cherry, or apple (check the sugar content/ingredient list first)
• Agave or maple syrup– drizzle, not drown
• Blueberry cheesecake anyone?  Top your pancake with cottage cheese, blueberries, a sprinkle of granola (or nuts) for a crunch and your sweetener of choice
• Dark chocolate peanut butter with sliced banana
• Lemon zest/juice with a sprinkle of brown sugah sugah
• Sandwich a slice of cheddar (or cream cheese) and pear slices in between 2 pancakes

Who’s hangray now?? 😆