By Alex Martin © 2017
If you saw the title and said: How can pancakes ever contribute to improving my health? I can say I had the same reaction. But, made with the proper ingredients, they certainly can! Of course, it all comes down to what you put in your pancake batter, and what you top your pancakes with.
Vitamin A Pancakes
First of all, let’s start with ingredients in pancakes that can contribute to enhanced levels of vitamin A. It is actually beta carotene that can be found in fruits and veggies that is responsible for the creation of this vitamin.
When it comes to the amount of vitamin A people need, it comes down to these numbers:
• Men- 900 mcg per day
• Women- 700 mcg per day
Taking the recommended dose will inevitably lead to an improved eyesight and neurological function. Healthy skin is also a product of it.
The fruits and veggies you should incorporate in your
pancake recipes include:
Butternut Squash
Only half a cup of butter squash contains 572 mg of beta-carotene, which will translate into a substantial amount of vitamin A. Not to mention that pancakes made with this fruit would be soft and fluffy, and any recipe containing them will certainly call for cinnamon and ginger (my all-time favorite combination).
Carrots
If you didn’t get it by their name, carrots abound with beta carotene. So, adding a cup of raw sliced, diced or ground into a pancake batter will provide you with more than 100% of the daily value of Vitamin A.
Vitamin C Pancake Recipes
Vitamin C is best known as a weapon to combat the common cold. But, its health benefits go even further. From boosting our immune system to aiding the good work of the cardiovascular one, make sure you consume this vitamin on a daily basis and you will surely keep the doctor away.
How much vitamin C per day should one consume?
• Men- 90 mg per day
• Women- 75 mg per day
And because pancakes can make use of so many different ingredients, and the pancake recipes are so versatile, fruits that are vitamin C packed are no exception.
Oranges and lemons are the fruits that are most associated with large amounts of vitamin C. But, an even greater source of vitamin C are strawberries. Only half a cup of strawberries contains 58.8 mg -- or 98% of the daily value, whereas a small orange, for instance, contains 85%. Regardless of whether you opt for the sweet taste of strawberries, or the slightly tangy flavor of the citrus fruits, you can’t go wrong when it comes to adding them to the pancake batter, or even as toppings (ok no lemons for toppings).
Make yourself a batch of vitamin A or C infused pancake recipes and start your day out on the right foot. You will feel far more energized and your mood will be improved for certain!
*******
