Every morning, in the hurry to reach our workplaces on time, we often skip our breakfast or the first meal of the day. However, skipping breakfast is not a wise choice as it is the meal that energizes your body and helps your body respond properly to insulin.
Eating cereals and poha in breakfast is healthy as well as good, but having it every morning and not changing it may make this custom of breaking your morning fast boring. Some people often consider breaking this monotony with some toasts or muffins, but these may not be sufficient to equip your body with the energy it will need all day.
If you’re looking for new recipes to explore and add in your breakfast list, here’s one that will rejuvenate your tastebuds. Forget kaddu ki sabzi and try your hands on the pumpkin pancake.
To make 3 pancakes, you’ll need:
– 1 cup plain white oats
– 1-2 tsp canola oil
– 2 egg whites
– ⅓ cup pumpkin puree
– 1 scoop of any protein powder (optional)
– ½ tsp cinnamon powder
– 1 sachet stevia powder. You can add sugar too. Just make sure the amount is healthy: 1-2 tsp
– ½ cup diced or grated apple for garnishing
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How to prepare:
1. Add all ingredients except oil in a blender. Blend until smooth.
2. Coat a small pan with cooking spray and place over medium-high heat.
3. Pour one-third of the batter into the pan, spreading it evenly.
4. Let it cook for about 2 minutes or until the edges become light brown. Flip it and cook the other side for another 2 minutes.
5. Transfer pancake to the plate and set aside.
6. Serve with little stevia sprinkled and diced apples.
Nutritional Facts:
– Energy: 182 calories (+10 cals if used sugar)
– Fats: 2 gm
– Carbohydrates: 20 gm (+2.5 gms carb if used sugar)
– Protein: 16 gm
Benefits of this including this pumpkin pancake
– Oats are rich in fiber which helps improve satiety and keeps you full for longer. As a result, you don’t need to keep snacking on something to satisfy your hunger pangs, helping you maintain a healthy weight.[1]
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– Pumpkin is rich in carotene, minerals and vitamin A, which is needed for proper growth, healthy eyes and protection from diseases. It is also rich in vitamin C, vitamin E, lycopene and dietary fiber. It also contains bioactive compounds that can protect against many diseases like hypertension, diabetes and even cancer. It relieves intestinal inflammation and other stomach disorders. Since the pumpkin is used as a puree, all its benefits stay intact and make the dish healthy.[2]
– Canola oil is low in saturated fats and has high proportions of unsaturated fats, making it a healthy and safe cooking oil. The presence of unsaturated fats helps reduce heart disease risk and cholesterol levels.[3]
– Cinnamon contains important oils that fill it with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, antimicrobial, anticancer, lipid-lowering properties and help it reduce the risk of getting cardiovascular diseases.[4]
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– Egg whites are an excellent source of high-quality protein. They are low in calorie, fat-free and cholesterol-free. Apart from this, it also provides folate, selenium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium.[5]
Made up of so many healthy ingredients, this recipe is considered ideal for breakfast as it helps you stay full for long, provides you with vitamins and minerals and empowers you with energy to keep going all day. Do try this breakfast recipe and give your tastebuds a break from the regular dishes.
(The article is reviewed by Dr. Swati Mishra, Medical Editor)
Recommended Reads:
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Healthy Recipes: Forget Paranthas, Try Desi Vegetable Oat Pancake
References:
1. Oats. The Nutrition Source. Harvard T. H. Chan. hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/food-features/oats/
2. M. Ziaul Amin, Tahera Islam, M. Rasel Uddin, et al. Comparative study on nutrient contents in the different parts of indigenous and hybrid varieties of pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima Linn.). Heliyon. 2019 Sep; 5(9): e02462. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6819838/#:~:text=Pumpkin%20is%20a%20good%20source,coronary%20heart%20diseases%20%5B10%5D.
3. The Nutrition Source. Harvard T. H. Chan. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/2015/04/13/ask-the-expert-concerns-about-canola-oil/#:~:text=Although%20care%20must%20be%20taken,in%20beef%20tallow%20or%20butter.
4. Pasupuleti Visweswara Rao and Siew Hua Gan. Cinnamon: A Multifaceted Medicinal Plant. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2014; 2014: 642942. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4003790/
5. The Nutritional Value of Egg Whites Versus Egg Yolks: What Do You Use? A Healthier Michigan. https://www.ahealthiermichigan.org/2011/10/11/the-nurtional-value-of-egg-whites-versus-egg-yolks-what-do-you-use/