Does your family start the day with a good, nutrient-dense breakfast? Mine love my egg and banana pancakes. This recipe is deliciously sweet and full of goodness. So much better than a nasty piece of sugar-infused, puffed-up, dehydrated, empty-calorie wheat product from a brightly-coloured cardboard box.

These banana pancakes are gluten-free, protein-packed and loaded with nutrients, to sustain you longer and make you less likely to reach for that quick sugary fix at 10 am.

It’s important to remember that when you find healthy substitutes for the empty-calorie foods we consume in our Western diet, they will never taste exactly the same – because they’re not the same. So manage expectations if you’re serving a fussy audience … call them “Super special bananarama panfried yums” or something just as whacky, if you think it’d encourage your offspring to try them.

The texture is not the same as regular pancakes (or crumpets, as we call them in South Africa). The traditional American pancake is drier and lighter than these, due to the flour being the main ingredient. In this dish, the eggs and bananas are the stars of the show, with flour playing a cameo role. These are so tasty and MUCH moister than traditional American pancakes.

When you cook them you will also notice that the mixture is slightly thinner than that of regular pancakes. Do not worry, this is perfectly normal. Once the mixture hits the hot pan it should quickly firm up, but if you have a spatula with a thin base it does make the pancake easier to turn.

ARE EGGS GOOD FOR YOU?

Eggs are nutrient powerhouses. Apart from being rich in protein, eggs are packed full of essential nutrients and are also good for eye health.

They have had a bad rap in the past due to their association with cholesterol and its role in heart disease. However, we now know that saturated fat and processed sugars are the key contributors to the obesity and cardiovascular disease epidemic. The American Heart Association recommends one egg (or two egg whites) per day as part of a healthy diet.

I find eggs to work particularly well as a filler with salads or a great topping (boiled or poached, not fried) on a slice of sourdough toast for lunch. They are so quick to prepare and are extremely satisfying.

TO ADD A NUTRIENT BOOST TO YOUR PANCAKES

It would be a shame to prepare these beautiful pancakes, only to douse them in processed syrup or chocolate sauce! I usually get a range of nutritious toppings ready, for example:

• Blueberries, strawberries (quartered) and blackberries
• Whipped coconut cream with a dash of vanilla
• Natural yoghurt
• Honey or pure maple syrup
• Hemp seeds, cacao nibs or granola to sprinkle on top
• As a weekend treat, a few shavings of dark chocolate

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