Low-Glycemic Banana Strawberry Oatmeal Pancakes

This recipe for banana strawberry oatmeal pancakes is a delicious, low-glycemic breakfast treat. Following a low-glycemic diet means reducing many of the refined grains and sugars in your diet, but you can still enjoy some sweet breakfast choices, such as banana strawberry oatmeal pancakes.

Decreasing the amount of white flour and adding some bulk with fruits or nuts can turn a high-glycemic meal into a low-to-medium one. This recipe uses a thick batter for hearty pancakes; you can find oat-bran pancake mix in most major grocery stores.

The banana-strawberry topping really makes this recipe wonderful, but feel free to experiment with other fruit toppings, as well!

Low-Glycemic Banana Strawberry Oatmeal Pancakes

Preparation time: 12 minutes

Cooking time: 18 minutes

Yield: 6 servings

1-1/4 cups reduced-fat (light) oat-bran pancake mix or reduced-fat oatmeal pancake mix

1/2 cup quick oats

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 cup lowfat milk

1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2 medium bananas)

2 large eggs, beaten to blend 1/2 teaspoon orange zest

Nonstick cooking spray

6 tablespoons maple syrup (optional)

1-1/2 cup sliced strawberries

1-1/2 cup sliced bananas

1. In a large bowl, mix together the pancake mix, oats, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add the milk, and let sit for 1 to 2 minutes.

2. Add the mashed bananas to the oat mixture. Stir in the beaten eggs and orange zest (batter will be thick).

3. Spray a large nonstick skillet with nonstick cooking spray, and heat the skillet over medium heat. Using 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake, drop 4 pancakes in the skillet, spacing them about 1 1/2 inches apart. (Because the batter is thick, try to pat down the batter to make pancakes that are approximately 3 inches in diameter.)

4. Cook the pancakes until they’re brown on the bottom and some bubbles begin to break around the edges, about 3 minutes. Gently turn the pancakes over. Cook until they’re brown on the bottom and firm to the touch in the center, about 3 minutes (pancakes will be thick).

5. Repeat Steps 3 and 4 for the remaining batter to cook 12 pancakes total. Coat the pan with cooking spray before each batch.

6. For each serving, serve 2 pancakes with 1 tablespoon of syrup (if desired), 1/4 cup of sliced strawberries, and 1/4 cup of sliced bananas.

Per serving: Calories 240 (From Fat 37); Glycemic Load 10 (Low); Fat 4g (Saturated 1g); Cholesterol 73mg; Sodium 144mg; Carbohydrate 43g (Dietary Fiber 8g); Protein 10g.