- Sweet and savory pancake toppings contain more calories than a Big Mac
- Many toppings contain about half the recommended daily intake for adults
The calorie content of your Pancake Day feast may slowly increase…
When combined with Brits’ favorite toppings, from chocolate spread and fruit to syrup and bacon, Shrove Tuesday can rack up up to hundreds of calories.
For example, a typical portion of American-style pancakes topped with syrup, butter, and bacon may have more calories than a McDonald’s Big Mac.
One crepe with Nutella and strawberries contains half the recommended daily intake of sugar for adults.
Today, to prevent the waistline from hurting, nutritionists advise people to eat fruits, nuts and Greek yogurt.
You can check out MailOnline’s table below to see just how high in calories your favorite pancake combinations are.
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The website looked at more than 30 toppings and six recipes and found they can contain shocking amounts of sugar, fat and calories.
According to recipes from BBC Good Food, a single Scotch pancake (121 calories) or French crepe (161 calories) is the lowest in calories, while a big, fluffy American pancake is slightly worse (178 calories).
Banana pancakes, a favorite among vegans and health enthusiasts who substitute sugar for fruit, contain 161 calories per slice.
Meanwhile, a vegan recipe that replaces eggs and milk with vegetable oil and vegetable milk has only 90 calories per pancake, according to the recipe.
But popular toppings can bump this sweet treat up to more than 500 calories.
One American pancake topped with fried chicken and drizzled with maple syrup has 527 calories, which is more than a McDonald’s Big Mac (493 calories).
Crepe with Nutella has 241 calories and 11.4g of carbohydrates. For comparison, a Krispy Kreme Original Glazed Donut has 195 calories and 12g of sugar.
On the other hand, one banana pancake with banana, mixed nuts, and honey has 511 calories and 46.9g of carbohydrates.
By way of background, the average woman is recommended to consume 2,000 grains per day to maintain a healthy weight, which is one-third of the average man’s recommended intake of 2,500 grains. I am.
Two tablespoons of milk chocolate chips (137 calories) and a banana (135 calories) are among the highest calorie sweets you can add to pancakes, as are fried chicken (310 calories) and sliced cheese (125 calories). The most calorie-dense savory option.
Banana was also one of the sweetest options you could add (27 g), along with milk chocolate chips (14.3 g) and marshmallows 25 g (14.2 g).
However, while the sugar in bananas is naturally occurring, the sugar in chocolate and marshmallows is added.
Health leaders recommend reducing intake of this type of sugar (less than 30 grams a day), as it can lead to tooth decay and weight gain.
However, you can reduce the calories in pancakes with simpler combinations.
Just adding lemon and 1 teaspoon of sugar to a crepe adds up to about 178 calories and 7.1g of sugar.
On the other hand, Scotch pancakes with butter have 195 calories, and if you add strawberry jam instead, you get a total of 158 calories.
But Rob Hobson, registered dietitian and author of Unprocess Your Life, says there are healthier options that satisfy both your sweet and savory cravings.
He recommends eating fruits, nuts, and yogurt.
“Fresh fruits like berries and bananas are great and go well with a light smear of nut butter. Fruits are a source of vitamin C and potassium, while nut butters are a good source of vitamin E,” he says. told MailOnline.
“It’s also super easy to make your own compote, as you can put frozen berries in the microwave for 30 seconds to soften them and create a thick sauce that pairs well with Greek yogurt.
“Nuts and seeds are also great and can be sprinkled on sweet or savory pancakes.”
But if you want something more hearty, he suggests topping your pancakes with avocado slices, spinach, and sliced boiled or poached eggs.
Hobson also recommends not adding sugar to pancake mixes.
He says, “As far as pancakes are concerned, I don’t think there’s much difference if you use the same type of dough made with flour, eggs, and milk (or baking powder for the American version).”
“If it were me, I would probably remove all the sugar from the pancake mix and add the natural sweetness of the fruit and maybe a little honey.”
