Saturday…You mean Pancake day?

My hubby J comes from a family with a gazillion – and I mean that literally, traditions. It’s wonderful. One of them, which still goes on today, is Pancake Saturday mornings. But the pancake is far from the star of these 9 a.m. gatherings. Outshining the mix of “Heart Smart” Bisquick is a plethora of sugar-laden toppings. Aside from the butter, I’m talking two different types of pancake syrup (regular and buttermilk), multiple flavors of homemade jam, cool whip and Hershey’s chocolate syrup. I have even witnessed candy and pure granulated sugar as flapjack decor on some occasions. But don’t worry, there are blueberries, strawberries, and bananas available…if you want them.

When I was first introduced to this event, I was baffled. I didn’t understand the obsession with sugar, and after a couple of times of just having them plain, and being verbally and visually tempted, I began to participate in the ritual. After the moments of indulgence ALWAYS came those feelings. I would be bloated, lethargic, and sluggish. My throat would hurt from the cloying sweetness I had just consumed. But then I got over it, and I would partake again at the next visit…and the next…and the next…you get it.

Fastforward>>> January of this year marked a healthy change in our household culture, but I didn’t want to rob J of this tradition. There had to be a better way. A better pancake in taste and nutrition. And there was! In fact there are plenty! Here a couple of tried and true, new and improved pancake recipes that I’ve found around the blogosphere as of late (aside from protein powder(good quality), egg whites and water, that is):

From Ambitious Kitchen: Oatmeal Cottage Cheese Banana Pancakes {high in protein, gluten-free}

^^^This stuff is “better than regular pancakes” material, as quoted by my hubby. I will stick to it ’till the grave! + cottage cheese=protein=GAINS

From Simply Delicious: Easy and healthy Banana Oat pancakes

^For when cottage cheese is not on hand in mah fridge.

Why oats and bananas? Oats fall under the ‘slow-digesting carb’ category, so it’s sure to keep you full longer. Bananas I believe are the sweetness factor in these recipes, which you can swap out for a packet or two of no-calorie stevia. They also don’t give you the high-highs and the low-lows that plan old sugar does, as shown by the diagram below, courtesy of fitlife.tv.

As toppings – try berries/ natural nut butters/ pure maple syrup/ honey…but, and I can not stress this enough – ***use them in moderation*** 🙂

Try one of these one morning. You’ll be glad you did!