Banana Pancakes Recipe

PART I: Recipe 

The recipe prepared by _______ and inspired by Jennifer Segal (2018) and Christensen (2020) 

Ingredients 

2 small ripe bananas, peeled and mashed 

2 cups of all-purpose flour 

3 teaspoons of baking powder 

2 eggs 

2 tablespoon sugar 

1 cup of milk 

½ teaspoon salt 

3 tablespoon butter, melted 

Vegetable oil 

Preparation, Cooking and serving 

Preparation 

Mix together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in a bowl 

Mash the bananas with a fork in a different bowl, add the milk and whisk in the eggs 

Stir well until all the ingredients are blended. 

Pour the banana mixture into the bowl with flour mixture, add the melted butter and mix slowly and adequately until the mixture blends to a thick sap (batter). 

Cooking 

Set a non-stick pan on high heat and leave for a few minutes until the pan is heated. 

Minimize the heat and cook over medium to low heat 

Put one tablespoon of vegetable cooking oil on the pan, and swirl it round to spread over the whole pan surface 

Pour a quarter cup of the batter and cook until bubbles appear on the top side while the bottom side cooks to a golden brown; flip and cook the top side until both sides are golden brown 

Using the spatula, transfer the pancakes to a serving plate. 

Add more vegetable oil to the pan in quick successions, and repeat with the remaining batter. The ingredients should be enough for 4 to 5 pancakes, Serve while hot with some fruit juice of coffee and other confectionaries 

Banana Pancakes (Christensen, 2020) 

PART II: Justification 

Pancakes are exceptionally healthy snacks that can be taken during breakfast and virtually any other time of the day. 

Why 

Nutrition 

According to Wolf (2018), a single serving of pancakes contains about 221 calories which contain 8.8 grams (g) of fat. He highlights, however, that only about half of the fat content in pancakes making up about 3.9 g is from saturated fat. A single pancake serving also contains 8.1 g of protein, about 15 per cent of the suggested intake and 27.2 g of carbohydrates making up 11 per cent of the amount needed by healthy individuals in a single day. 

How 

Based on Youdim (2019), proteins, fats and carbohydrates are responsible for up to 90% of an individual's dry weight and diet. These nutrients are also responsible for the energy supply of the body; providing energy measured in calories. However, the amount of energy in 1 gram of each of these nutrients differs. Fats have nine calories per gram, while proteins and carbohydrates provide four calories per gram. As such, having a total of 35.3 grams of carbohydrates and proteins and 8.8 g of fat in a meal as in pancakes provides sufficient amount and portions of energy in line with the calories’ requirements. 

According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2015-2020, provided by Health.gov, an individual should not take in more than 10% of their daily calories in saturated fat. This is particularly perfect for pancakes as the amount of saturated fat contained based on Wolf (2018) is about 3.9 grams, lower than 10% of the required daily calories in saturated fat. Also, Wolf (2018) confirms that an Ideal breakfast contains up to 500 calories and no less than 350 depending on an individual's nutritional needs. A single serving of pancake contains up to 221 calories for which addition of maple juice and other confectionaries should take it well between the required range making pancakes a perfect snack for breakfast. 

Why 

Vitamins and Minerals 

A single serving of pancakes is also a good source for significant body Vitamins and minerals. According to Trembley (2018), pancakes are a good source for phosphorous and calcium, providing up to 20 per cent of the recommended and required daily intake. Pancakes also serve up to 12 per cent of the iodine and riboflavin requirement and include small quantities of vitamins, iron, copper and zinc. 

How 

While phosphorous impact the body's ability to make DNA and RNA, minerals such as calcium are crucial for increasing bone strength, and they also impact the nerves and muscular functioning. Calcium might also be essential in controlling blood pressure. Wolf (2018) confirms that iron contributes to the energizing properties of pancakes, given its role in enabling oxygenation of tissues to produce the needed energy. Iron also impacts the functioning of immune cells, enabling active fighting of diseases. 

Why 

Sugar and Sodium 

The addition of granulated sugar to the pancakes gives it a sweet taste but also provide the sugars needed for dietary planning. Salt in the pancakes, further account for up to 308 milligrams (mg) of sodium per serving of pancakes 

How 

The Dietary guidelines of America 2015-2020, as highlighted by Wolf (2018), confirm that; sugar intake should not exceed 10% of the required daily calories. The 4.3 g contained in a single serving of pancakes enables adequate sugar consumption. Besides, the recommended daily limit of sodium stands between 1200 and 2300 milligrams, making the salt content in pancakes significantly low compared to the required daily limit. This confirms pancakes to be an effective dietary snack. 

PART III: Summary 

Question 1 

Two main factors to be considered in the creation of a healthy snack include: 

Amount of fat and Sugar: snacks picked should be significantly low in added fats and sugars given the potential of these to increase obesity and unhealthiness during the pandemic season 

Size: While a meal may be healthy and quite balanced when it comes to nutrients, taking too much of the snack adds up the calories leading to overeating or increased amounts of nutrients than the recommended quantities. 

Question 2 

Elements relating to decision making and goal setting 

Deciding on a healthy snack. The decision and presentation of banana pancakes as a healthy snack are related inherently to the processes of decision making and goal setting. Consideration of different meals with regards to their dietary compositions was involved in the process leading up to the decision on Banana pancakes. 

Development of the recipe. While a wide range of ways and recipes, exist with which an individual can use in the cooking of pancakes, the method developed was critically considered with regards to the outcome of the pancakes being fluffy, sweet and nutritious. This element impact consideration of goal setting 

Development of the Report, In development and writing of the report as an element of the project, making decisions with regards to the involved information corresponding to a required objective was a significant element requiring decision making and goal-setting skills. 

Question 3 

Possible Barriers 

Currently, the Covid19 pandemic represents a substantial barrier to accessing healthy foods given its crippling of the countries and world economy. Only few stores are operating, and minimized movements by individuals make it difficult to access healthy foods. Also, limited economic performance leads to a lack of sufficient money and capital to afford or even buy healthy foods creating another significant barrier. Taste and convenience is another barrier to accessing healthy foods. Given a majority of healthy foods are natural such as vegetables, they are not quite tasty compared to junk food like fries, fried chicken and cake. 

Individual attitude, stress and depression, especially due to the uncertainty created by the pandemic also present barriers to access and consumption of healthy foods. According to McCall (2020), a majority of individuals who stress-eat have a taste and preference for unhealthy foods. They mostly indulge in eating sweet and junk foods in a bid to escape the depression and stress they are facing. Habits and convenience also include among factors that provide barriers to healthy eating. Often individuals are looking for convenient readymade foods to eat rather than embarking on cooking wholesome and healthy meals. They form a habit around eating these foods regularly and as such are deprived of adequate access to healthy foods on a regular basis. 

Solutions 

One primary solution is abiding by the outlined guidelines of the health department to ensure minimization of the impact of the pandemic and quick resumption of normal activities to enhance better choices for healthy eating. 

Continued education and sensitization of the public with regards to healthy eating and its subsequent benefits could also be a potential solution for the barriers 

Maintenance of dietary planning for different meals to enable a combination of different balanced diet meals could also impact a possible direction towards healthy eating. Individuals can stock healthy foods like vegetables and fruits rather than unhealthy options thereby enhancing healthy eating. 

Making a habit of cooking and eating healthy foods on a regular basis also contributes towards minimization of unhealthy eating habits. Individuals committed to healthy eating find it harder to indulge in unhealthy eating habits. 

Question 4 

Covid-19 has significantly influenced food choices within my family. 

Given the lockdown which has significantly minimized the supply of healthy foods within the market, my family currently shops in bulk for healthy foods like vegetables, eggs and milk and store these in the refrigerator for long term consumption. This is to ensure the availability of sufficient healthy meals at any time and minimize junk stress eating. 

Rather than buying typical snacks like potato crisps, biscuits and cakes, which are significantly unhealthy, my family currently stocks fruits which are healthy and rich in minerals. Eating fruits ensure healthy intake during the “stay at home” period for all individuals and minimize the possibility of developing obesity due to overconsumption of unhealthy snacks. 

PART IV: Budget and Receipts 

Full-service Grocery stores 

Wall-mart 

Target 

Item Prices 

List of Individual Ingredients	Wall-Mart ($)	Target ($)
Baking Flour	5.00	5.20
Ripe Bananas	5.00	5.20
Baking powder	5.00	5.20
Eggs	5.00	5.20
Sugar	5.00	5.20
Milk	5.00	5.20
Salt	5.00	5.20
Butter	5.00	5.20
Vegetable oil	5.00	5.20
Total	$45.00	$46.80

References  

Christensen E. (2020). How to make 2-Ingridient Banana pancakes. Retrieved 22 April 2020, from https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-2-ingredient-banana-pancakes-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-218658 

McCall A. (2020). Experts explain how to deal with stress eating during covid-19 pandemic. Retrieved 22 April 2020, from https://www.newschannel10.com/2020/03/26/experts-explain-how-deal-with-stress-eating-during-covid-pandemic/ 

Segal J. (2018). Banana Pancakes. Retrieved 22 April 2020, from https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/banana-pancakes.html 

Trembley S. (2018). What are the benefits of pancakes? Retrieved 22 April 2020, from https://healthyeating.sfgate.com/benefits-pancakes-3125.html 

Wolf N. (2018). Is there room for pancakes in a healthy diet? Retrieved 22 April 2020, from https://www.livestrong.com/article/400517-are-pancakes-healthy/ 

Youdim A. (2019). Carbohydrates, Proteins and Fats. Retrieved 22 April 2020, from https://www.msdmanuals.com/home/disorders-of-nutrition/overview-of-nutrition/carbohydrates,-proteins,-and-fats