When diet is wrong, medicine is of no use. When diet is correct, medicine is of no need. – Ancient Ayurvedic proverb.
Nutrition related topics are confusing for many as they are unaware of the facts. I am sharing answers to the most frequently asked nutrition related questions by people around me.
- What does a diet actually means?
A diet means what you normally eat or what anybody eats daily. It’s not always about weight loss or about dieting. There is a difference between both.
- How much calcium my kids need daily?
One cup of milk or yogurt has almost similar calcium content. The amount of calcium one child needs depends on the age group and few other factors. Milk has 250 to 300 mg of Calcium per cup. Cheese is another good option for kids. One cup cheese contains almost 1000 mg of Calcium depending on which cheese you are using.
- What are bones made up of? (Asked by a mom whose daughter complains of leg pain frequently)
Our bones are made up of calcium and phosphorus. It is important to eat food items rich in both these nutrients to keep your bones and teeth healthy.
- How to use vegetables for making juice? (Someone asked me this last week when I published the post on ways to include vegetables for kids)
Fresh and homemade juice is good for kids as it retains all the nutrients of the fruit. If you are trying to extract juice at home, make sure to retain some amount of fiber if possible. There are actually ways to do it and it’s not difficult.
You can mix vegetable and a little water in a blender or a food processor. You can add some fruits to make it taste better as the only vegetable juice is not that great taste wise. It’s better not to remove or strain out all the pulp from the juice to retain the fiber content.
- What is Gluten free diet?
Gluten is a protein which is found in grains like wheat, barley, and rye. Gluten free diet means excluding all the food items containing these cereals. If you are allergic to any of these cereals, it makes sense to avoid it but these days people are avoiding gluten for health reasons too. You can eat rice or corn based cereals instead of the mentioned above.
I will be back with few other nutrition related questions and answers next week. Till then, enjoy my healthy pancake recipe.
Dietician mom’s tip– Original pancake recipe has white flour or refined flour. But we are giving it a healthy twist by using whole wheat flour with some oats and rice flour.
My younger one is a big fan of pancakes and every time I ask her what she wants for breakfast, her reply is always pancakes with maple syrup and chocolate syrup. Pancakes are good breakfast options for picky eaters too.
I make variations to the pancake mix by using different ingredients. You can also add vegetables or fruits in the batter to make it even more nutritious.
- Oats powder – 1 tbsp
- Rice flour- 1 tbsp
- Wheat flour – ½tbsp
- Baking powder – ½
tsp - Oil- 1 tsp for the
batter - Milk- ½ cup
- Vanilla extract- optional.
- Water- Add little if the batter becomes very thick.
- Chocolate chips - Optional.
- Preheat a skillet.
- Mix together -Oil, vanilla, milk.
- Stir in oats, baking powder, and flours until properly mixed.
- Add in chocolate chips ( if using ) and fold gently.
- Cook for 2-4 minutes on each
sides until golden brown. - Serve with maple syrup or chocolate syrup and a few additional chocolate chips.
2. You can make pancakes just with flour and add sliced or chopped fruits while serving.
3. To make it gluten free, use only oats and rice flour and skip wheat flour.

Ways to serve a pancake with a fruit
In Nutrition niche, I not only share recipes with a healthy twist but also some tips as a dietitian mom. See previous week’s recipes-
Oats dosa with coconut chutney
August 2, 2017 at 11:50 am
Is wheat flour mandatory for this recipe?? I am trying to go gluten free and looking for recipes..what can I use as the substitute of wheat flour??
August 2, 2017 at 12:52 pm
Hi Balaka..wheat flour is not mandatory. to go gluten free, You can make 100% oats pancakes or use things which are gluten free like fruits in the batter with oats, or use Quinoa flour, rice flour, millet flour etc.
August 2, 2017 at 1:08 pm
Thanks Deepa…Will try to make this over the weekend.
August 2, 2017 at 6:25 pm
Thanks Balaka.
August 2, 2017 at 3:38 pm
I eat pancakes once a week. When young, and even now, I enjoy pancakes made with whole wheat and buckwheat flour. (Buckwheat grows well in colder climes such as the one I live in.) Oats are another excellent choice, as you point out.
August 2, 2017 at 6:27 pm
Yes buckwheat is really good too. It is also gluten free. It is high in fiber and helps to lower cholesterol and sugars. Thanks Alana.
August 2, 2017 at 8:16 pm
I love pancakes and generally use oatmeal flour for the same. But too with honey and peanut butter 🙂
August 2, 2017 at 10:35 pm
Thats great Zainab. Oatmeal is great especially if you are trying to go gluten free. Thanks.
August 2, 2017 at 10:18 pm
I love pancakes! They are quick and easy to make. I have to try this yummy recipe!
August 2, 2017 at 10:37 pm
Thank you ..glad you liked it.
August 3, 2017 at 3:38 am
I’ve been playing with the idea of going gluten free, but now that I’m pescatarian, I worry I won’t have many options when it comes to food.
August 3, 2017 at 10:14 pm
Pescatarian is also good as sea food is great and better than red meats. Thanks.
August 3, 2017 at 4:47 pm
Very informative post. Some of these facts about nutrition are new for me. The pancakes recipe is so easy. I am going to try this soon.
August 3, 2017 at 10:16 pm
Thank you.
August 3, 2017 at 7:25 pm
Liked the question and answer series.
Pancake recipe is healthy when we use alternates to flour .My daughter loves pancakes too .Great breakfast option.
August 3, 2017 at 10:17 pm
Thankyou Amrita
August 3, 2017 at 8:44 pm
These look so good I can smell them from here! I know what I’m making for breakfast!
August 3, 2017 at 10:17 pm
Thanks
August 3, 2017 at 8:57 pm
OHHH i like that I can make gluten-free pancakes. I’m sadly GF and dairy free these days, last few years my body just isn’t enjoying gluten and dairy. So happy there are so many substitutes these days.
August 3, 2017 at 10:18 pm
Thats great Nadalie.There are many substitutes. Thanks.
August 4, 2017 at 10:09 am
We do make Oats Pancakes and parathas. Thanks for the new way to do the same. I will try this soon. 🙂 the pictures look mouthwatering
August 5, 2017 at 2:03 pm
Thank you
August 4, 2017 at 12:23 pm
My 17mo recently tasted pancakes and really loved it. This is a good alternative to make it a healthy meal for him so that I do not need to feel guilty. Thanks for sharing!
August 4, 2017 at 4:32 pm
Thank you Mahak
August 4, 2017 at 3:11 pm
This looks scrumptious….it’s easy to make as well….will try soon….can I substitute rice flour with something else???
August 4, 2017 at 5:58 pm
My kidos loves to eat pan cakes. They are just awesome in taste and healthy option for them. Your recipe is really easy to make these at home. Thanks for detailed process
August 4, 2017 at 8:35 pm
Thank you
August 4, 2017 at 9:45 pm
Oh that is one exciting twist to the pancake recipe Deepa. I’m definitely making this for my girls this weekend.
Enjoyed the QandA section too. Thank you ❤️
August 4, 2017 at 10:50 pm
Thank you Natasha.
August 4, 2017 at 11:17 pm
I liked the presentation a lot.
August 4, 2017 at 11:18 pm
This is a great recipe. However we are trying to avoid dairy products. What can be substituted for milk?
August 5, 2017 at 10:02 am
Nayantara..you can avoid milk and just use water to mix all the flours. If you eat eggs, you can add one egg too.
August 5, 2017 at 12:21 am
Pancakes are one of my favorite breakfasts meals! I have to try making this recipe.
August 5, 2017 at 10:03 am
Thank you Krystal
August 5, 2017 at 1:45 am
Thanks for sharing these great tips… And the recipe seems so easy, would definitely try this out
August 5, 2017 at 10:03 am
Thankyou Preetjyot
August 5, 2017 at 4:02 am
Thank you for the recipe I can’t wait to try it! We recently went gluten free for healthy reasons and we feel great
August 5, 2017 at 10:04 am
Thats great .Thanks.
August 5, 2017 at 10:08 am
I love this idea I’m not a big fan of Pancakes but I eat oatmeal every morning for breakfast so I’ll have to try this recipe instead. It looks so tasty.
August 5, 2017 at 1:52 pm
Thanks Ellie
August 5, 2017 at 2:46 pm
I am a huge fan of oats and constantly in the look of recipes that I can make using oats as the main ingredient. I had never thought oats can be used t make pancakes too. I really loved the way you have included ingredients to make this yummy looking pancake. I will surely try this.
August 5, 2017 at 4:00 pm
Thank you Rakhi
August 8, 2017 at 7:55 am
I love pancakes and welcome any recipe that makes them healthier. I kind of have a love-hate relationship with oats so I may just have to try this and see what happens!
August 8, 2017 at 8:19 am
Thanks
August 9, 2017 at 9:10 pm
Hoping to try this awesome recipe soon
August 9, 2017 at 10:06 pm
Thanks
October 25, 2017 at 8:23 am
Making this for the third time now and my girls love it ❤️
October 25, 2017 at 10:30 am
Thanks Natasha..I am glad they liked it 🙂
October 25, 2017 at 11:04 am
And I louveee it too?