Pancakes or waffles? Do you find yourself eating one over the other? I think I like waffles best, but on the weekends, there’s nothing like a pancake breakfast. Especially when it’s easy and bursting with whole grain goodness. Whole wheat is great but how about 4 grains like cornmeal, rolled oats and some flaxseed meal? That sounds even better. See how easy they can be at your house.

I get out a big bowl and add in all four flours. That means 1 & 1/4 cup of whole wheat or spelt flour, 1 cup of old-fashioned rolled oats, 1/4 cup of organic cornmeal and 1/4 cup of ground flaxseed meal. Just dump it all in! But before I set it aside, I also stir in the rest of the dry ingredients, like 1 tablespoon of baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. I prefer to use Ener-G Foods baking powder because I am sensitive to regular baking powder, so I will add 2 tablespoons instead.

So stir that all up and set it aside. Now it’s time for the wet part. Into my blender, I pour in 2 cups of water, 2 tablespoons of maple syrup or honey, and 1/4 cup of unsweetened applesauce. For sweetness and light pancakes. I just whiz this up for a minute or two to blend it all together. Then into the bowl of dry ingredients it goes. I mix it just a little, just til the batter is moistened all the way through.

Now, you may have to add more water as you go along –all these whole grains are thirsty and are quick to absorb your liquids.

I bake these up on a nonstick griddle–no oil is necessary. Trust me. Cook them over a medium heat til they are golden brown. Then serve with your favorite fruit topping. In our New Start kitchen, my family gets out nut butter and unsweetened applesauce, sometimes some maple syrup.

But my favorite is to warm up some frozen blueberries, add a little organic cornstarch and have a thick and fruity blueberry sauce! That’s yumm-licious in my book. And one of the terrific fruits to beat inflammation and boost our immune systems! You can do the same with any berries, like strawberries, blackberries or raspberries. When they’re in season, I just sprinkle them over my applesauce and I’m in 7th heaven! I hope you will be too.

Whole Grain HealthBites

Did you know by adding some whole grains to your breakfast you can lower your risk for heart disease? One study, involving over 400,000 people (14,427 already had been diagnosed with coronary heart disease) discovered that the people who ate the most whole grains experienced a lower risk for heart disease. Reach for some 4-Grain Pancakes–your heart will just love you!