Buckwheat pancakes are another low fat breakfast recipe variation of the plain ol’ pancakes. The nutritional values in this delicious low fat breakfast recipe have been calculated on the basis of 2 pancakes per serve (8 pancakes in total).

One problem that people face sometimes when eating pancakes is finding a suitable low joule topping to dress their pancakes with. Traditional honey and/or jam contain enough sugar to send a rocket to the moon… or even worse… to add a couple of inches to your waist line! (Heaven forbid!)

WW leaders recommend using the low joule/no sugar jam they make. But as much as I like WW, I am sorry to say that I do not find their jam tasty at all. And believe me, I really, really tried to like it. I also tried the equivalent in other brands, and the result was the same.

I can understand it if you have to use low fat jam if you are a diabetic. You have no choice, right? But if you’re just trying to eat healthy food and lose weight in the process, there is no reason why you should deprive yourself from a bit of sweetness to sweeten your day at breakfast time.
In fact, I would even argue that relaxing the rules a bit will help you keep on track in the long run. If you’re too strict with yourself, you may lose weight rapidly, but it is also likely you’ll get back to your evil ways soon after, and get all of the weight you’ve lost back on.
So much for the benefits of self-deprivation, huh? Well, here is my solution: Get a jar of diet jam (zero sugar), and a jar of sugar-reduced jam (50% less sugar). Mix them both in a large container, and put the mixture back in the 2 empty jars.

That way, you’ll get to enjoy your low fat breakfast pancakes with a low joule jam with only 25% sugar content (otherwise not commercially available).

As you can see, your low fat breakfast does not have to be “spartan” at all. It just takes a bit of knowledge and ingenuity to make the right choices and substitutions.

Ingredients for buckwheat pancakes:

• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/4 cup buckwheat flour
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 1 egg
• 2 tsp molasses
• 2 tsp low fat margarine
• 1/4 cup low calorie syrup.

This is what you do:

Mix the flours and baking soda in a mixing bowl, and set aside.

In another bowl, mix the buttermilk, egg, and molasses. Mix well.

Spray a nonstick frying pan with cannola oil, and heat the pan.

Drop the batter onto the hot pan, till you have a 4 inches pancake.

Cook for a minute, and turn the pancake over so that both sides are cooked and golden.

Set aside on a plate, and repeat the process for the rest of the pancakes.

Serve each portion of pancakes with 1 Tbs of syrup.

Nutritional Information:

• Serves 4
• Fat: 4 g
• Cal: 170
• KJ: 712
• WW: 3 Points