I like to make these healthy pancakes with banana and carrots when we have some carrots leftover from diner the night before. My son loves them, and I am happy when he starts the day with a nutritious breakfast. He is quite a picky eater, so I am grateful to get him to eat something healthy. They are super easy to make and don’t take more than 10 minutes to prepare.
Health benefits
Banana carrot pancakes are packed full of healthy nutrients
- Bananas are packed full of minarals and vitamines, like folate, vitamin B6, vitamin C, and potassium. Together these nutrients support the nervous system, skin health, iron absorption, and blood pressure (source). On top of that, they are a natural sweetener, which makes them perfect as a sugar substitute.
- Carrots are very high in vitamin A, which is needed to support the immune system, as well as your heart, lungs, and kidneys (source) Carrot are also natural sweet and their mellow structure fit to the banana pancakes perfectly.
- Eggs deliver many of your child’s nutritional needs. Eggs contain choline – a nutrient that contributes to healthy brain development, among other things. Also being high in protein, eggs will support a child’s growth and development (source).
- You could use whole wheat flour, which is a great source of B vitamins, manganese and magnesium (source) or you could go with a healthier organic choice like buckwheat flour or oat flour for example.
If you don’t happen to have carrots at home, you can also check out this recipe for Banana Pancakes.
Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ripe banana
- a small cooked carrot
- 1 egg
- 2 heaped tablespoons of flour (white, whole wheat, or whatever you prefer)
- vegetable oil for cooking
- some honey for drizzling over the pancakes (only for kids older than 2)
Steps:
- Clean and cook the carrot.
- Mash the banana and the carrot together in a bowl. I use a fork for this. Small bits and pieces of the carrot will still be visible. If you want, you could also use a mixer for a smoother result.
3. Add the egg and the flour and stir until well mixed.
4. Heat a pan on medium heat with some vegetable oil and add the batter with a spoon into small heaps into the pan.
5. Let it cook on medium heat for some minutes until the top starts to set. Then flip the pancakes and cook for several more minutes.
6. I like to serve them with a bit of honey on top. My son loves it, and honey has some health benefits as well. Just beware that honey can be dangerous for babies. Up to the age of 2 years, it’s not advisable to use honey in your kid’s diet.
You could try adding a pinch of cinnamon to the mix and serve it with some fruits or yogurt. I sometimes add some peas into the mix as well. You can experiment as you like.
Once a picky eater accepts a specific meal, it is a good chance to introduce new foods alongside it. So I started adding different fresh fruits to the pancakes, and even, at some point, small pieces of cooked carrot, hopefully slowly but steadily expanding his palate.
