Recipe: VALENTINE’S DAY HEART HEALTHY BREAKFAST OF LOVE: OATMEAL AND POMEGRANATE PANCAKES

Start off your Valentine’s Day with love by adding shredded beets to your pancakes for a natural red food coloring and additional antioxidants and phytochemicals. 

INGREDIENTS:

Yield: 2 pancakes (1/3 cup of mixture per pancake) 

·         2 fluid ounces of egg whites (or 2 eggs with the yolk removed)

·         1/3 cup of rolled oats

·         ½ medium banana, mashed

·         2 teaspoons of ground flax seed

·         1 teaspoons of cinnamon

·         2 Tablespoon of beets, shredded *

·         Topping: pomegranate seeds

·         Additional topping ideas: blueberries, blackberries, chocolate chips, unsweetened coconut, and unsweetened cocoa powder

*if you don’t have beets on hand, you can substitute minced or pureed strawberries

DIRECTIONS:

Mix all the ingredients into a small bowl to make the pancake batter. Spray a pan with olive oil or canola oil. Place 1/3 cup of the pancake batter on the pan. On medium heat, lightly brown each side of the pancake. Serve immediately with optional toppings.

Nutrition Information Per Serving:

Food weight: 2.0, Calories: 210 calories, Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 0 mg, Sodium: 116 mg, Carbohydrate: 35 g, Dietary Fiber: 7 g, Sugar: 10g, Protein: 11 g