Pancake Day

Traditionally, Pancake Day, or Shrove Tuesday, is a time to use up your supplies of milk, butter and eggs before the lean days of Lent, which is why it is also called 'Mardi Gras' meaning 'Fat Tuesday'.

Carnival time

Rather than just flipping some pancakes, other countries mark this time with major festivities such as the Rio and Venice Carnivals and Mardi Gras in New Orleans. Closer to home, many towns in the UK celebrate Shrove Tuesday by holding events such as pancake flipping contests, pancake races or even pancake football.

But if you're heading for an altogether quieter Pancake Day at home, you might like to try some of these healthier options.

Healthier choices

When making your pancake batter, you can make it healthier by simply using semi-skimmed or 1% fat rather than whole milk. And remember you don’t actually need to add butter or salt to the batter. If you do want to add a bit of fat to the mix, try low-fat spread or vegetable oil instead.

For your pancake toppings, try low-fat spreads or low-fat yoghurt and opt for a squeeze of lemon or some fruits to sweeten things up. You can choose fresh, dried, canned or frozen – they all count towards your five-a-day. Some traditional pancake toppings can be high in sugar and fat so go easy on foods such as butter, cream, sugar and syrup when you make your toppings.

If you’re wondering what to put inside, here are some fruity fillings that will satisfy any sweet tooth and help towards your five-a-day:

• Chopped apple, cinnamon and raisin
• Bananas and chopped nuts (unsalted)
• Fresh or stewed pear and ginger
• Canned fruits such as pineapple, apricots or peaches
• Chopped dried apricots with a dollop of low-fat yoghurt
• Mixed berries (you could always blend some of these to make a sauce)

Pancakes around the world

The humble pancake has been adapted the world over with just about every country having its own version.

If you’re looking for inspiration this pancake day follow the Moroccan tradition and swap your plain flour for semolina flour or add a filling of spicy chickpea and beans for a more savoury African twist. Or, if you prefer to follow the Dutch, fry Drie-in-de-pan or ‘Three in a Pan’ and add slices of apple, raisins or currants to your mixture.

Or if you prefer more of a thick spongy pancake adapt a Russian buckwheat blini by making your batter purely from buckwheat flour.

Savoury choices

To make a change, you could try out some savoury options with wholemeal or buckwheat pancakes, such as ratatouille, mushrooms and spring onions, or spinach and reduced-fat hard cheese.

There are also very tasty Indian-style pancakes made with chickpea flour and spices that you could try. These are a low-fat option because they don't contain any butter or eggs, and they go really well with a tasty curry.

Chinese pancakes are also traditionally made with flour and water, without added fat, though you need a bit of oil to cook them. You could serve these with stir-fried veg and chicken or duck, with a spicy dipping sauce.

Fancy a more substantial filling? Check out our recipe section and wrap up a portion of root vegetable or mixed vegetable and lentil curry in your pancake. Or, if you prefer to make your pancake meatier, simply use chilli con carne to adapt the classic family filler.

Whichever pancake you go for on Pancake Day this year, the most important advice is: enjoy it!

Create the perfect pancake

• Don’t forget to measure your ingredients out carefully
• Try not to over beat your batter and, if you can, get your mixture into the fridge for half an hour before you put it in the pan
• To guarantee some flipping fun, remember to grease your pan with a little vegetable oil before you begin
• Cook your pancake mixture in the pan until the edges become dry and you start to see bubbles on the uncooked surface. Don’t try to move or flip them before this as they might fall apart
• Use a spatula to loosen the pancake from the pan and then use your wrist to flip it – don’t worry if you’re not good at first, practice makes perfect
• Try to serve them straight away – they’re best served warm from the pan