Food & Fitness

   

Pancakes are a high-carbohydrate food, which means if you have diabetes, they will raise blood glucose. According to the Exchange Lists for Diabetes, one 4-inch pancake (¼ inch thick) has about 15 grams of carbohydrate. You can still eat pancakes with diabetes, but it is important to count them in your meal plan. For example, if you have about 30 grams of carbohydrate at breakfast, you should only have two, 4-inch pancakes at that meal.

Here are some other tips to follow when you want to have a pancake breakfast:

Portion size is important. Choosing the large stack of pancakes may not be the best thing for your blood glucose or weight control.

When you are at a restaurant, opt for a small plate of silver dollar pancakes. These smaller pancakes will be easier to fit into your meal plan. 

Look for pancake mixes or recipes made with whole wheat flour. Whole wheat pancakes will still have about the same amount of carbohydrates, but the whole grain flour in them provides more nutrients than regular white flour.

Check nutrition labels or pick recipes that provide the nutrition information. This information will be more exact than the 15-gram estimate above. Use the portion size and the grams of carbohydrates listed for more accurate meal planning.

Most of us don’t eat our pancakes plain, so choose your toppings wisely. Make your meal as healthy as possible by using a small amount of trans-free margarine or margarine made with plant sterols or stanols instead of regular butter. Some toppings can add a lot of extra carbohydrates without adding any nutrients, for example: whipped cream, chocolate chips, powdered sugar, maple syrup, etc. Adding 2 tablespoons of sugar-free syrup is a better choice, since it is actually considered a free food. You may also want to try topping your pancakes with fruit like berries, bananas, or apples with cinnamon if it fits with your meal plan.