There is something just a little decadent about preparing pancakes for breakfast – they take time and ceremony, something that is generally very short in supply in this household.

So the making of pancakes implies a lazy weekend, or a half term of pottering, and reminds me that every now and again we should just slow down and enjoy..both the cooking and the eating.

Three of my favourite pancake recipes are below..

The first is my low carb protein pancakes – perfect for a day of rest when you want to keep your protein and fats up, and carb levels low.

The second is a post work out pancake incorporating both plenty of carbs and protein to help refuel.

And the third recipe is the pancakes I like to make for my boys as a weekend treat.

Low carb protein pancakes (serves 1)

1 large egg

40g egg white (I use 2 chicks egg whites in cartons, available from many supermarkets)

30g vanilla whey protein

1 tbsp coconut flour

½ tsp baking powder

Splash of milk

60g mixed berries

100g fat free greek yogurt

Grated lemon zest

Heat the oven to a low heat to keep pancakes warm

Whisk together the egg, egg white, coconut flour, protein powder, baking powder and milk in a jug.

Heat the oil in a non stick frying pan, then pour in small puddles of the mixture. When bubbles begin to appear, they are ready to flip over. Transfer to a plate in the oven to keep warm while you make the rest

Serve with berries, (I like to warm some frozen berries in the microwave as they go nice and juicy), greek yogurt and grated lemon zest

Calories: 360  Carbs: 14g  Fat: 12g  Protein: 45g  *

Post workout banana pancake recipe (serves 1)

50g banana

35g vanilla whey protein powder

1 tbsp coconut flour

1 medium egg,

50g egg white (I use 2 chicks egg whites in cartons, available from most supermarkets)

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp coconut oil

50g mixed berries

50g fat freek greek yogurt

Whisk together the egg, egg white, protein powder, coconut flour and baking powder

Mash the banana and add to the mix, plus a splash of milk if the mixture looks too thick.

Heat the oil in a non stick pan then pour in small pools of the mixture, flipping over when bubbles start to appear.

Keep warm in the oven til all cooked, then serve with the berries and greek yogurt.

Calories: 406  Carbs: 27g   Fat: 13g  Protein: 45g  *

Boys breakfast banana pancakes (makes 5-6 panacakes)

70g self raising flour (wholemeal if possible)

1 egg

½ tsp baking powder

1 tbsp coconut sugar/brown sugar

1 banana – half mashed, half sliced

70ml milk (of your choice)

10g butter or coconut oil

Fresh berries and Maple syrup to serve

Put the flour, baking powder and sugar into a bowl and stir to mix. Make a well in the middle, and add the egg and milk, and mashed banana then whisk together. (Get the kids to help with this, and with chopping the banana – they are much more likely to eat something if they’ve been involved in the preparation!)  Heat the oil or butter in a pan, then pour a good pool of mixture into the pan. Dot a few slices of banana on top. Cook for a few minutes until the bottom goes golden brown and then flip. Cook for another couple of minutes until the bananas have begun to caramelise. Flip onto a plate and serve with fresh berries and maple syrup.

Per Pancake:

Calories: 100   Carbs: 12g  Fat: 3g  Protein: 3g   *

* All the calories and other macros in my recipes are approximate – I calculate them using myfitnesspal