BANANA, OAT, AND ALMOND PANCAKES
Sunday, June 07, 2015
My husband and my sister have high cholesterol levels. I was actually surprised when I first learned about it (two years ago). They were just 32 and 29 years old then. I was thinking, we were living in the same house and we eat the same food, how come both of them have high cholesterol levels while mine was perfectly normal? Then I realized there's one food I religiously eat everyday that they don't -- OATS.
I love oats. Everyday, I eat oatmeal for breakfast and dinner. It's my comfort food. But my husband and my sister hate it and I can't understand why. Oats is considered one of the world's healthiest food. It helps lower cholesterol, reduces risk of cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes, stabilizes sugar, etc. I mean, if it's that healthy, why wouldn't they want to eat it? Please, help me understand!
I've been trying to convince them to eat oats ever since to help lower their cholesterol levels, but they won't. (They're sooo stubborn, I know!) Sometimes I would even prepare it as their 'baon' in the office but they will just go home with the oats left untouched. It was disappointing!
I was upset but I can't quit trying and just watch their cholesterol levels shoot up, leading to a more serious health condition. I can't do that and I won't let that happen. So we ditched all the unhealthy fat sources in the kitchen and replaced them with healthier alternatives; we became more cautious in preparing our meals, staying away from anything fried as much as possible; and we always take a one hour walk every afternoon for our exercise routine (except during summer when the temperature in the middle east can rise up to 44C or even higher). Those efforts somehow helped to lower their LDL and triglycerides, but not enough to reach the normal levels.
It was disheartening. For two years, I've been trying my best to lower their cholesterol levels but I always fail. It's hard especially when the people you're trying to help is very stubborn -- hates eating healthy and loves to secretly snack on junk foods (especially behind my back). What to do yanni?
To tell you honestly, I feel like I've got two more extra kids (my husband + my sister) to look after to, aside from Rafa. That makes me an instant mother of three! So whenever I cook, I have to always take into consideration not only the nutritional content of the food, but its ability to please my audience as well (just to make sure they're going to eat it). And since my two extra kids hate oatmeal, unlike Rafa who loves it as much as I do, I decided to look for recipes where I can incorporate oats without being too obvious just so I can make them eat it (minus the element of force).
So for my first oat recipe, I will be sharing with you a remake of Deliciously Ella's vegan banana pancakes. The original recipe had a problem though in making the pancakes set. The first time I cooked it was a disaster because the pancakes kept on sticking to the pan and won't hold together, making it impossible to flip without breaking. I checked on the comments section of the post and saw that most people who followed the recipe encountered the same problem. So I made a few alterations with the original recipe and fortunately came up with better results.
This banana, oat, and almond pancake is perfect if you're looking for a deliciously healthy breakfast. The combination of oats and almonds in this recipe make it ideal for people who want to lower their cholesterol levels. In addition, this hearty meal is technically and literally good for the heart for having a nutrition grade of A. Meaning, it's super healthy, minimally processed, and rich in essential vitamins and minerals. And the taste? Delicioso! I'm proud to say that this recipe passed a toddler's taste test. Actually, my one and a half year old son loved it so much (compared to the commercially available pancake mix he doesn't even want to taste) he kept asking for more!
BANANA, OAT, AND ALMOND PANCAKES(Makes 7 medium pancakes)
1/2 cup rolled oats
2/3 cup almonds
3/4 cup all purpose flour (use spelt or whole wheat flour if you want higher fiber content)
1 cup water
2 ripe bananas
2 tbsp honey (use maple syrup to make this dish vegan)
2 tsp cinnamon
pinch of salt
olive oil for cooking
For the topping (optional):
1 ripe banana
1 ripe mango
almond pieces
Start by placing the oats into a chopper or food processor, blend for about a minute or two until they form a smooth dusty flour. Do the same with the almonds and banana. Combine all ingredients (except olive oil) into a large bowl, mix until well blended. The mixture should turn quite thick, not too runny.
Place a frying pan on the heat. Once it is really hot, add a teaspoon of olive oil to grease it. Put about 1/4 cup of the mixture to the middle of the pan and cover. After about a minute check the bottom of the pancake. If it is cooked, flip it over and allow the other side to cook for another minute.
31 comments
that's what I don't get about cholesterol levels, too. This makes your yummy alternatives even more relevant for clueless moms like me.
ReplyDeleteI'm gonna try this one, I bet this is yummy!
ReplyDeleteGo ahead, Nilyn! It is indeed yummy and healthy at the same time.
DeleteSalivating as I am reading your entry! Looks good!
ReplyDeletexoxo
MrsMartinez
Thanks Mrs. Martinez! :)
DeleteI love oats and I miss preparing healthy food! I think I'm trying this. I wonder if cashews can replace almonds, but I think the taste would be somewhat weaker
ReplyDeleteHi Marie! I haven't tried cashews with these pancakes.. My husband is allergic to cashew nuts. Tell me if the oats, banana, and cashew combination went well with your pancakes, ok?
DeleteLooks delicious! Healthy pa :)
ReplyDeleteSounds healthy and yummy, I want to try this at home!
ReplyDeleteGo and give it a try, Rowena! :)
DeleteThis story is so cute! I like how you kind of had to end up "tricking" your "two extra kids" into eating the oats, something like what we'd actually do with our actual, little kids when they don't want to eat their veges! Glad it all turned out alright, and hope they eat more oats! It's really healthy. I know, because oatmeal also helps increase milk supply for breastfeeding moms :)
ReplyDeleteHi Jackie! I didn't know that oats help increast milk supply among breastfeeding moms. That's another reason for me to love oats more! I'm also a proud breastfeeding mama. Thanks for sharing that information with me!
DeleteOh yum! This sounds healthy and oh-so-delicious!
ReplyDeleteOhhh, what more can we ask for? healthy yet delicious! I must try this soon!
ReplyDeleteGo Millie! :)
DeleteYummy! Luckily, we love oats and I make it a point that we eat oatmeal at least 3x a week :)
ReplyDeleteThat's a great habit, Viva Kitchen Goddess! Cheers to oats and its healthy benefits!
Deletehmmm... If a kid prefers this scrumptious and healthy oatmeal pancakes over the commercially available ones, then I know I have to bookmark this recipe! It's so perfect for mireinda and breakfast!
ReplyDeleteThanks Nicole! I hope your kids would love them too.
Deleteeverything is delicious + healthy. my idea of a perfect breakfast meal! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Jared's mom! :)
DeleteI need oats for my cholesterol levels, too. Also my husband. I'm actually poised to replace a couple of my meals with oatmeal...i'm just preparing myself, heehee. THanks for this recipe. I think I want to try this. Mahal lang ang Almonds, no? :)
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome May! Yup, almonds are just a little expensive but its health benefits are surely worth every penny!
DeleteI should do this at home since my level of bad cholesterol (LDL) is also high. I inherited that from my parents. Sigh! Thanks for sharing your recipe!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome Maria Theresa! I'm hoping to have my sister and my husband's LDL to reach the normal level too!
DeleteHmmm, not a huge fan of bananas and oats. Love almonds though but for the betterment of the family must try this!
ReplyDeleteGood thing you love almonds Luisa! It's one of the world's healthiest food! :)
DeleteWe do these at home. We add up more nuts, like cashew, if we have them in the fridge.
ReplyDeleteThat's great to hear Que! :)
DeleteI make banana pancakes in The Sims 3! Hihihi . . . My mom made banana pancakes once and it was really delicious, especially when you put caramel syrup on top of it! So yummeh. I just remembered the Nido commercial "But mommy makes pancakes on Saturdays" =)
ReplyDeleteI am not familiar with Nido's commercial but I am glad you loved banana pancakes.. Try it with oat and almonds to make it even healthier :)
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