This weekend, put the cereal dishes aside and treat your family to a warm stack of pancakes. Not only is this low-fat recipe good comfort food, but it’s also a healthy and delicious way to start the day. These pancakes are so light and tasty, your family will be requesting them morning, noon and night. Enjoy!

banana-pecan pancakes

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1/4 cup oat bran
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups low-fat buttermilk
• 1/3 cup mashed ripe banana
• 2 tablespoons reduced-calorie stick margarine, melted
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted
• Cooking spray
• 6 tablespoons maple syrup

1. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour and next four ingredients (flour through salt) in a large bowl. Combine buttermilk and next four ingredients (buttermilk through egg); add to flour mixture, stirring until smooth. Fold in pecans.

2. Spoon about 1/4 cup batter onto a hot nonstick griddle or nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray. Turn pancakes when tops are covered with bubbles and edges look cooked. Serve with syrup. Makes 12 (4-inch) pancakes.

Nutritional analysis per serving: (Serving size: 2 pancakes and 1 tablespoon syrup): calories 149 (26% from fat); fat 4.3g (saturated 0.9g, mono 1.9g, poly 1g); protein 3.8g; carbohydrates 24.5g; fiber 1.1g; cholesterol 18mg; iron 1.1mg; sodium 142mg; calcium 51mg.