Dishing It Up!

by Victoria Mattson

Victoria Mattson is a local cook, confectionaire and writer. She offers healthy and nutritious recipes and food tips in each issue of North County Outlook. Phone (360) 658-9903 or e-mail victoria@northcountyoutlook.com.

As kids return to school in the next few weeks, it's a great time to spotlight the most important meal of the day--breakfast. Kids who eat breakfast learn better, have fewer absences from school, and are more physically active. It has consistently been reported that a healthy breakfast can help boost a child's attention span, concentration and memory.

When selecting breakfast foods for kids, choose those that are low in sugar and high in fiber to help avoid a "sugar crash" later in the morning. Cereals, breads and muffins made with whole grains are good sources of high fiber foods, as are many fruits. For a really quick breakfast, Cheerios are a good choice since they have only 1 gram of sugar and 3 grams of fiber per serving. Consuming foods that contain good fat and some protein also helps to avoid the "sugar crash." A whole wheat English muffin with peanut butter is an example of this combination.

These fiber-rich pancakes were inspired by pancakes served at a fabulous bed and breakfast in Arizona. A good friend was given the original recipe, and she added some healthy ingredients to boost the nutritive value. This recipe calls for flaxseed meal and wheat germ; however, whole wheat flour can be substituted for these ingredients.

To serve as a quick breakfast, make up a batch ahead of time and freeze the pancakes flat. To reheat, place 2 pancakes in the microwave for about 1 minute.



Oatmeal Pancakes



4 cups old fashioned rolled oats

1 quart low fat buttermilk

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 cup flaxseed meal (or whole wheat flour)

1/4 cup wheat germ (or whole wheat flour)

8 large eggs

1/4 cup honey

3/4 cup applesauce

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. cinnamon



The night before: mix the oats and buttermilk in a large bowl, cover and refrigerate until morning. The next morning: add the whole wheat flour through the cinnamon and stir until just mixed. Heat a griddle and spoon 1/3 cup batter onto the griddle for each pancake. Cook until the top of each pancake has bubbles and the edges are slightly dry. Turn the pancakes over and cook until the second side is light brown. Serve with yogurt and berries as toppings.



Makes about 30-35 (5 inch) pancakes.



Contact Victoria at Victoria@northcountyoutlook.com or by phone 360-658-9903.