The following post includes Amazon affiliate links.  That means a small portion of your purchase will be paid to me as a commission.  The price is the same for you.  I like to share these links to help support the cost of running this blog and to be a resource to you.  I like to make things easy for you and as always…..keep it real.

The Real Food Experience is a systematic approach to eliminating the harmful ingredients found in fast and processed food from your diet and focusing on eating real food.  Real food that is closer to nature than it is to science.  It’s a great time to focus on eating delicious and nutrient-dense food.  A healthy body has more energy for things that matter most in life. You can join us this week and get caught up by checking out our other weekly challenges. Here is the Week 1 Challenge. 

This week, we are focusing on whole grains. I challenged you to dump your white bread, rice and pasta and switch to whole grains. Instead of the highly processed grains we usually eat we are making the switch to nutritious whole grains. If you are reading labels, you probably noticed that much of what we eat regularly contains refined flour. It’s not easy to find whole wheat flour items. The food industry is very tricky and really knowing what you are eating can be quite confusing if you are trying to feed your family healthy real food. I wrote about this confusion and some tips to help all the way back in 2015. The advice is still good today so check out these simple tips to help identify whole grains.  

An alternative to shopping for whole grain products is of course to make them yourself. Don’t scroll away.  I know you are a busy Mama.  That’s why you are here. We are the community of juggling real food and real life.  It’s time for you to put together a few easy and quick to make recipes that will last for the week. When I take the time to cook, I want to make sure I am cooking or at least prepping for more than one meal. I like to use little pockets of time in my day to get my real food prep done. I wish I had loads of time to meal prep for the week, but I don’t.  We are always running off somewhere. 

This healthy whole wheat banana bread pancake recipe makes about 14 large pancakes. They are dense in texture due to using whole wheat flour, so they are very filling.  We all eat a pancake or two when I initially make them and then I put what is leftover in the refrigerator or freezer in glass storage containers. You can warm the leftover pancakes in a microwave or toaster. For added protein, serve with bacon, sausage, or peanut butter. I love to frost my pancakes with peanut butter as I rush out the door in the morning. Don’t want to be late for work, do we? 

What makes this banana bread pancake healthy?

• These pancakes are made with 100% whole wheat flour rather than refined flour.
• These pancakes are naturally sweetened with ripe bananas, and honey or maple syrup rather than processed sugar.
• We use just a little real butter rather than other unhealthy oils.

Don’t worry though.  Your family won’t have any idea that they are eating healthy food! Because they are so easy to make, I know they will quickly become a family favorite.

Whole Wheat Banana Bread Pancakes

 

Ingredients

• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon honey or real maple syrup
• 2 eggs
• 1 3/4 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 or 3 ripe bananas, smashed

Directions:

1. Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
2. Smash Bananas with a fork. Set aside.
3. Pour in the honey, eggs, milk, and 2 tablespoons of melted butter into the center of the dry mixture.  Mix together, but don’t overmix.  You don’t want it to be too tough.
4. Gently fold bananas into the mixture.
5. Heat your pan over medium-high heat.  Melt butter to prevent pancakes from sticking.  Also gives a nice flavor.
6. Add pancake batter by pouring or ladling it into the pan.
7. Brown the first side, flip, and repeat.
8. Serve with warm maple syrup. (The Real stuff!)

 

For simple recipes your family is sure to love, make sure you check out my recipe index.  I am adding new recipes all of the time so make sure you check back often.  You will also want to grab my free meal-planning printable calendar to make your meal planning easier.  It has areas to plan your daily activities so you will be able to see the blocks of time you have to prepare your meals and the times when you will be busy juggling real life.