Nothing warms my heart more than when I hear my children
talking with their friends and explaining something (anything) I have taught
them about life, faith, science, nutrition etc… It means they ARE actually listening!
So it was pleasing to me when I heard my daughter explain to her friend the
difference between a treat and a snack. When my daughters friend said she was
hungry and suggested they eat some chips, my daughter responded “chips aren’t a
snack they are a treat, let’s have an apple.” So they both ate an apple,
laughing the whole time because they both only have half their front teeth,
then they shared a small lunch-size bag of Doritos. Now sure, I would love to say my kids don’t
eat things like Doritos, but this is reality and they ARE going to eventually…
So I am glad it was in my estimation only about 6 chips per girl and of course
the apple first!
This concept of treats vs. snacks is something I work hard
to keep consistent in our lives, so that my children understand that when they
are hungry they need to nourish and feed
their body with a healthful snack , preferably one that came from
the earth and still looks like it did when it was in nature. I also recognize
the need to satisfy a craving for something sweet or salty, so we call those treats and we typically don’t eat them
when we are hungry, but rather when they sound good and in moderation. This is
an important lesson for children, especially with all of the prepackaged “food”
labeled as snacks, but really containing little to no sustenance, only empty
calories which ultimately leave kids hungrier in the end. I am not a fan of taking a healthy a snack
like an apple, and then covering it in caramel or chocolate just so kids will
eat it. If you are going to turn fruit into a dessert, which we do all the
time, then call it what it is so kids learn to differentiate between treats and snacks.
Now sometimes I like to turn something with good solid
nutritional value into a treat, especially on Sunday mornings! This last Sunday
I made our family favorite Sunday morning breakfast treat; Caramelized Banana
and Dark Chocolate Chunk Pancakes. Doesn’t sound nutritious you say? The base
of these pancakes has no butter, dairy or sugar and boast nearly 20 grams of
fiber! I use a 50:50 ratio of whole wheat to white flour to keep the pancakes
from being too dense, and I eliminate the need to use butter or oil by adding
ground flax seed. I use almond or soy milk to replace the dairy and raw agave
nectar to eliminate the need for sugar. Caramelizing
the bananas really adds depth to the flavor of these luscious pancakes! And as
if you need to explain why dark chocolate chunks make these pancakes just that
much better, well the bitter sweetness of the dark chocolate adds an earthy
balance to the sweet caramely bananas which altogether transform this healthful
breakfast into a dreamy Sunday treat! Pair the pancakes with a 75:25 egg white
to egg yolk scramble, some turkey bacon and fresh fruit and you have a healthy
breakfast topped with a delicious treat! Enjoy!
Caramelized Banana and Dark Chocolate Chunk Pancakes
1 cup whole wheat
flour
1 cup white flour
3 tbsp ground flax seed
1 ½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
2 eggs
2 cups almond, soy or non-fat goat or cow milk
3 tbsp raw agave nectar (or ¼ cup raw unfiltered honey)
½ tbsp neutral oil (I use vegetable)
2-3 ripe but not mushy bananas, peeled and cut into rounds
½ cup dark chocolate chunks or chips (75% or higher, I use
Valrhona but I’m a self professed chocolate snob)
What to Do:
Heat oil in large sauté pan, add bananas in a single layer
and cook on medium-high heat until they begin to caramelize, about 5 min on
each side. Remove bananas from pan and set aside. Mix all dry ingredients together in a medium
mixing bowl. Mix eggs, milk and agave nectar or honey together in another
mixing bowl. Pour wet ingredients over dry ingredients and mix with a wood
spoon just until the dry ingredients are all incorporated. It is important to
not over mix this batter or your pancakes will be tough and dense. Gently fold
in the bananas and the dark chocolate. On a non stick griddle or in a nonstick pan
lightly sprayed with oil, I use vegetable oil sprayed from Misto, spoon batter
in about ¼ cup scoops. Cook for a few minutes on each side until golden brown.
Serve warm with butter and honey, or syrup or nothing at all because they are
that good!! Enjoy!
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