How to Modify Pancakes to Make Them Healthy

By - Dr Umme Hurayra

Breakfast is the main meal of the day that provides your body with fuel to keep your body energetic throughout your daily activities. Therefore, it is important to choose a healthy breakfast to kick start a good day. Pancakes are one of my favorite breakfast foods. They have many varieties and they provide several essential nutrients including vitamins and minerals.

Pancakes are round, flat, and typically thin wheat-based cakes cooked on frying pans or griddles. Is pancakes healthy? The article is going to reveal the truth about how healthy pancakes are. You will also come to know about pancake nutrition and how to modify pancakes to eat them for weight loss.

Is Pancakes Healthy?

Pancakes are a delicious food to have for breakfast. But, are pancakes healthy to eat every day? They can be healthy if you choose the ingredients wisely. The cooking method and the added ingredients mostly decide whether a food is healthy or not. Also, the nutritional value of food tells us about its healthiness too. So, let us have a look at pancake ingredients and Nutritional facts.

Ingredients

Nutritional Facts

Pancakes contain 227 calories per 100 grams. Following are the nutritional facts of pancakes.

Nutritional Benefits of Pancakes

The carbohydrate content in pancakes will be turned into glucose, the preferred source of energy for the brain, helping you to be alert and keeping you in an energetic mood throughout the day, so pancakes are a healthy breakfast.

Added fruits and vegetables like pumpkin, carrots, bananas, sweet potatoes are a great source of nutrients like carotenoids which may lower your risk for heart disease, cancer, macular degeneration as well as improve immune function.

Side Effects of Eating Pancakes

Are homemade pancakes bad for you? Pancakes are mostly made from refined flour that just provides empty calories and is very low in nutrients. It can cause weight gain. It is not filling and one can hardly feel satiated by eating a small quantity of these pancakes. Eating them in a huge amount can cause obesity.

Moreover, high fructose corn syrup can cause inflammation in the body. It can cause insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Pancakes high in sodium, sugar, and saturated fats can cause many diseases in which cardiovascular diseases are very common. The butter and maple syrup add more fats to these pancakes. So, are pancakes healthy without maple syrup? Yes, they are. You can use honey instead.

Because of these side effects, are pancakes bad for you? No, they are not because slight alterations in ingredients can make your pancakes healthy. You can use whole wheat flour or oatmeal in pancakes to make them healthy. Also, you can add several fruits and vegetables to enhance the nutritional value of your pancakes.

Are Pancakes Healthy for Weight Loss?

Pancakes can be very healthy for weight loss if they are rich in carbohydrates and high in proteins. People ask, are protein pancakes healthy? Yes, they are healthy because they can keep you full and satiated for a longer time. You don’t feel hungry for at least 3 to 4 hours after eating pancakes, so you lose weight.

When we talk about protein, we think about oatmeal. Are oatmeal pancakes healthy? Yes, Oatmeal pancakes are very healthy as they are rich in protein and are good for weight loss. Another important thing to keep in mind while eating pancakes for weight loss is that pancakes should be low in fats. So, are buttermilk pancakes healthy? No, they are not healthy if you want to lose weight because they can add an extra amount of fats to your diet.

Are Pancakes Healthy for Diabetes?

Pancakes contain a lot of sugar, so they are not healthy for diabetes. Moreover, the carbohydrates in pancakes are also converted to glucose which spikes blood glucose levels and an increased blood sugar level is not good for diabetes.

However, patients with diabetes can eat oatmeal pancakes. They can use honey instead of maple syrup because maple syrup can raise blood sugar levels. Homemade pancakes can be best modified to make them healthy for diabetes.

Are Pancakes Healthy During Pregnancy?

Pancakes can be a healthy breakfast to have during pregnancy. Whole wheat pancakes contain a lot of nutrients that a woman needs during pregnancy. For example, pancakes contain thiamine, iron, iodine, magnesium, zinc, copper, and riboflavin.

Iron deficiency diseases like anemia are very common during pregnancy. Eating pancakes can fulfill the iron requirements of our body. But it is very important to consult your doctor before eating pancakes during pregnancy as women with gestational diabetes and obesity should avoid eating pancakes during pregnancy.

Also, women who are gluten intolerant should avoid eating pancakes. Another thing is that the tract is sensitive during pregnancy, so you should eat pancakes in moderation to avoid putting a burden on your gastrointestinal tract.

Is Buckwheat Pancake Healthy?

The question should be more like, Is gluten-free pancake healthy? Buckwheat Pancake is a gluten-free pancake that is very healthy for those who are allergic to gluten present in various foods. Buckwheat is made from plain flour. It is rich in fiber, high in proteins, and low in calories.

 It contains 56 calories, 2 gram protein, 20 milligrams cholesterol, 13 gram carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 57 milligrams sodium, and less than 1 gram fat. Buckwheat mainly contains carbohydrates. It is a resistant starch that improves gut health and eases constipation because of the good amount of fiber present in it.

Are Pancakes Healthy for Dogs?

Yes, pancakes are very healthy for your dog until they have dairy intolerance or allergy from some ingredient. Plain pancakes are good for dogs. But some dogs are allergic to specific grains so observe for the symptoms of diarrhea etc. Avoid putting too much maple syrup on pancakes while giving them to your dog because maple syrup is high in sugar and can cause diabetes in your dog.

Are Banana and Egg Pancakes Healthy?

Are banana pancakes healthy for weight loss? People mostly ask this question, especially those who are attempting to lose weight. Yes, bananas have essential nutrients that are important for our bodies. It is rich in potassium and has a good amount of fiber in it. It can keep you satiated for a longer time.

Egg pancakes are also healthy as they enhance the protein content of your meal. A protein pancake can speed up your weight loss process so here is some good news for those who ask, is banana pancake healthy during weight loss? Of course, it is. But be sure to add 1 or 2 bananas to avoid excess calorie intake.

Healthy Pancake Mix

Here are some healthy pancake mixes available. You can make your pancakes by saving your time if you have less time to cook your breakfast. These are:

The Bottom Line

Pancakes are the most common breakfast food around the world, but are pancakes healthy? It depends on how you prepare them. It is important when you are making pancakes to choose whole wheat or whole grain flour rather than choosing white flour because whole wheat flour contains more nutrients as compared to white flour.

So, Is eating pancakes healthy? Yes but only if the pancake itself is healthy. If you want to make a healthier version of pancakes, they should be relatively high in calories. Making your pancakes more flavorful limits the need for topping your pancakes with butter and maple syrup. Honey is a better alternative to maple syrup.

FAQs

Are pancakes healthy, yes or no?

Pancakes are usually high in carbohydrates and empty calories as they are made from refined white flour. They can increase blood sugar levels and blood cholesterol levels. But if you replace the white flour with whole wheat flour and maple syrup with honey, it can be a better and healthier version of pancakes.

Do pancakes make you gain weight?

Pancakes that contain high amounts of carbohydrates and saturated fats can make you gain weight. Moreover, high amounts of sodium and sugar in your Pancake can become the cause of obesity.

Are pancakes OK on diet?

Pancakes are OK if you are on a diet. But they should be high in protein, and low in carbohydrates as well as added sugar. Oatmeal pancakes are best to eat if you are on a diet.

What are the benefits of pancakes?

Pancakes contain a good amount of fiber that is good for the health of your digestive system. They contain many essential vitamins and minerals that are important for our body. The iron present in whole wheat pancakes can fulfill iron deficiency, especially in pregnant women.