Healthy Breakfast RECIPE

Flip up these pancakes for a healthy breakfast, lunch or dinner - because we think you can have pancakes anytime!

Thanks to superstar ingredients, our pancakes are not only delicious but good-for-you. Did you really expect anything less atHoney Bee Meals?! 

Let's take a closer look at the ingredients and how to make these delicious & gluten-free pancakes:

We use a gluten-free flour blend made from garbanzo bean flour, potato starch, tapioca flour, whole grain sorghum flour and fava bean flour. 

Garbanzo beans (also known as chickpeas) are more commonly known for their famous spread: hummus! Don't be fooled, this legume is very diverse and has many health benefits. Just a 1/4 cup of chickpeas contains 10g of protein as well as lots of fibre.

Potatoes are often unfairly shunned in the nutrition world. If prepared well and eaten in proper quantities, potatoes can be an important part of your diet as they are full of nutritional benefits. They have a high amount of potassium, vitamin C, vitamin B6 and magnesium. They are also a resistant starch:

Resistant starch are starch molecules that are essentially resistant to digestion - they go through your stomach and small intestine undigested.  Eventually, resistant starch reaches your colon where it feeds your friendly gut bacteria. Resistant starch functions like soluble fibre and can improve insulin sensitivity, lower blood sugar levels and reduce appetite. But the main benefit is creating good gut bacteria for digestion.

Tapioca is a starch extracted from the roots of the cassava plant. Cassava is commonly used throughout South America. Tapioca is pure starch (carbohydrate) but is a great option for gluten-free cooking and baking. Like potatoes, tapioca also contains resistant starch - helping to increase our friendly gut bacteria. 

Sorghum is an ancient cereal grain. There are many species of sorghum and its' use has been on the rise thanks to it being gluten-free and a great baking alternative. While not the most nutritionally dense grain, sorghum does contain B vitamins, iron and magnesium. 

Fava bean is from the pea family. They are mostly carbohydrate but do contain about  25% of protein. They are rich in folate as well as other minerals such as manganese, phosphorous, magnesium, iron and B vitamins. Fava rounds out our gluten-free flour blend. 

We also add coconut flour to help keep the mixture together and also adds a bit of a nutty flavour plus extra nutritional goodness. Coconut flour is made entirely from coconuts. It is rich in fibre and medium-chain-triglycerides (MCTs). MCTs are a type of fat molecule that are linked to stabilizing blood sugar as well as aiding in digestion and promoting heart health.  The many properties found in coconut has also been thought to boost weight loss and fight some infections. When it comes to baking, coconut flour is a bit temperamental. You can't use coconut flour as a 1:1 gluten-free substitution but trust us: it works great here! 

We like to call eggs "nature's multivitamin" because of their nutrition power. The eggs in this recipe add even more protein plus selenium and vitamins B2, B6, B12 and minerals such as zinc, iron and copper.

The ripe banana gives the pancakes their fluff, sweetness and flavour. Bananas are naturally sweet and good sources of vitamin C,  manganese (good for your skin) and potassium (good for your heart health and blood pressure). A healthy source of carbohydrate, bananas do not contain any fat or cholesterol - the perfect balance for the eggs.

If you can't tolerate bananas, you can sub about 1/3 cup of unsweetened and natural apple sauce for every banana (about 1 cup total for the recipe).

While the nutrition of these ingredients may be a bit complicated, we assure you  that the recipe is not! The hardest part is waiting for the pancakes to be ready to flip. 

Be sure to tag us on Instagram & Facebook @honeybeemeals so we can see what you've topped your Honey Bee Banana Pancakes with - enjoy!

HBM Banana Pancakes

Ingredients

• 3 ripe bananas (about 100g each)
• 6 eggs
• 8 tbsp. coconut flour
• 10 tbsp. Bob's All Purpose Gluten Free flour
• 1 tbsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• coconut oil

Directions 
Makes 18 pancakes

1. In a medium bowl, mash the bananas and whisk in the eggs.
2. Add the coconut flour, gluten-free flour, baking powder and cinnamon and mix to combine.
3. Set mixture aside and heat a large skillet over medium heat.
4. Add about 1 tsp. of coconut oil to the pan and once melted, drop 1/4 cup measures into the pan.
5. Wait until the edges turn golden brown and bubbles begin to form (be patient!) flip and cook on the other side for another minute or two.
6. Remove finished pancakes are repeat steps 4-5 until all the batter is used.
7. Serve with fresh fruit, maple syrup or any other toppings you like!
   Some other ideas: nut/seed butter, coconut flakes, dairy-free yogurt, honey.