I’m not a strict “anything” when it comes to my diet. I do lean towards a vegan, paleo diet, but man, nothing beats those mexican stand chicken tacos sometimes. Balance is what I say. Sometimes I miss pancakes on a lazy day. Yes, there are buckwheat and other “healthy” variations of pancakes. The holidays makes me reminisce about being young, and long for those fluffy pancakes you can’t get with buckwheat.
I was looking for some moringa, when banana flour caught my eye in the raw foods section. The label said paleo and gluten free substitute for cooking and baking. In my mind’s eye, all I saw were those fluffy pancakes on a Sunday morning. Could it be possible?
My tastebud’s tell you yes. Fluffy, gluten free, paleo pancakes can be yours with banana flour. The magic of banana flour comes thanks to green bananas. At this stage they haven’t fully developed their sugar content, and have a limited taste. Meaning you won’t taste banana when after you’re done cooking or baking.
Being the health nerd I am, was texture the only good thing about this flour? Yes, it’s gluten free and paleo friendly for those days you’re craving carbs, but what other benefits does banana flour have? One serving contains 9% potassium, 8% total carbohydrates, and 8% dietary fiber of your daily nutrition. The very cool thing about banana flour is it’s resistant starch properties.
The what you say? My exact thoughts.
Resistant Starch is any starch or starch product that cannot be digested or absorbed within the upper digestive tract. It passes through the stomach unchanged by digestive enzymes. Without absorption or digestion taking place in the stomach and small intestines, RS2 moves into the large intestines and colon.
RS2 is a good substrate for fermentation to increase fatty acid concentration and lower the pH levels in the bowel, guarding against DNA and cell damage. Fermentation can only take place in the absence of oxygen. Without that oxygen present, fermentation becomes a primary means of energy production.
RS2 is also a prebiotic which promotes the growth of “good” bacteria in the gut. 70% of our immune cells reside in the gut and RS2 maintains healthy gut flora and feeds the cells.
What does this mean in layman’s terms? It keeps everything moving inside of your body, and helps you lose weight. I’ve talked about the importance of probiotics before, honestly, I cannot stress them enough. We don’t like talking about things we do in first thing in the morning, but having a healthy gut is what regulates our body. It keeps us healthy, our skin glows, and helps us maintain a healthy weight.
Kefir is a probiotic. Raw coconut vinegar and banana flour are prebiotic foods. Meaning you’re ingesting good for you bacteria or you’re consuming foods which will have a chemical reaction inside your gut. They’ll end up growing good bacteria in your stomach.
It sounds like a science experiment. When you start thinking about how consumed foods work inside of you, you start thinking more about what you put inside of your machine. How will they breakdown? How do they work in conjunction with our internal organs? If we can make it tasty while we’re being healthy, even be better.
Banana flour isn’t for pancakes only. Use it anywhere you would use wheat or unbleached flour. Please note though, because of the high starch content in banana flour use less flour than required in your everyday recipes. Rule of thumb is to use 30% less Banana Flour than suggested flour.
Don’t feel like cooking, baking, and all that jazz, use it in your everyday smoothie. Your gut will thank you. Let me know what kind of ideas you come up for the holidays. If you’re craving those fluffy paleo, gluten free, Sunday pancakes try this recipe. It’s fun converting your family to a healthier lifestyle during the holidays.
Perfectly Paleo Pancakes
- ½ cup banana flour
- 3 eggs
- 1 ½ teapoons baking powder
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 1 tablespoon coconut palm sugar or honey
- Pinch salt
- 1/2 cup almond milk
- ½ tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- Place all ingredients in a hi-speed blender. Blend until smooth. Let batter settle for a couple of minutes. Pour batter onto a medium-hot skillet and fry in a bit of melted butter or coconut oil until golden brown and fluffy. Flip and cook the second side until golden brown, about 40-60 seconds. Serve with your favorite toppings, and enjoy!
Blackberry Honey-Butter Syrup
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 1 ½ cups blackberries
- In a small skillet, heat butter, honey and vanilla together until bubbling. Remove from heat, toss in blackberries. Allow to sit for 3-5 minutes before drizzling over pancakes.
