Pancake Day is one of the best public holidays going. What's not to love?

From the adventures of flipping to getting creative and indulgent with toppings, we love the tradition from top-to-bottom, but know those sugar-filled circles of heaven aren't the best for us.

To mark the occasion, we spoke to nutritionist at Lifesum Lovisa Nillsson to get her top tips for healthier pancakes that you can enjoy without having to compromise on taste.

Here are her savvy tricks plus a tasty recipe that you can rustle up:

instagramView full post on Instagram

Ditch the refined white flour

There are endless options of flour types, and some of them will instantly make your pancakes healthier. For gluten-free options switch your regular plain flour for another option like raw or roasted buckwheat, rice flour, banana flour or coconut flour. These can be found in health stores and selected shops, while Ocado sells coconut flour. Banana flour has high levels of potassium and magnesium, which is good for a balanced gut. As with coconut flour, banana flour is rich in fibre and also protein.

Try dairy-free options

If you want to avoid dairy, just like flour there are several options to try. Alternatives such as oat milk, coconut milk and rice milk are delicious. Unlike cow milk these are lactose-free options low in fat, and still contain lots of vitamins and minerals such as vitamin E and fibre. They do taste a bit different so you need to try it first in order to find the option that you like the must.

Experiment with vegetables

Sweet potato pancakes, courgette pancakes and carrot are only some of the nutrient-rich vegetables that are easy to play with to create healthy pancake recipes. Sweet potato and carrots are rich in beta-carotene that converts in your body to vitamin A, which is good for healthy looking skin.

Play around with toppings

Avoid sugary toppings such as jam and refined sugar, instead sprinkle cinnamon, chopped almonds, and add bananas and dark melted chocolate to the pancake. If you want to feel full for longer, almond butter with bananas is a delicious and healthy option. Almond butter is also a great post-workout snack because the high protein content will maximise muscle repair and recovery. Personally, I often opt for savoury pancakes with avocado and cottage cheese. Avocado is filled with good Omega-3 fatty acids, and cottage cheese is light on the stomach and less fattening than some other cheeses and it contains more water to help hydrate the body. If you want to keep it simple - lemon and grated coconut on the pancakes is a delicious and healthy option. Lemon has numerous health benefits including antibacterial, antiviral and immune boosting.

Here Lovisa Nillsson gives her favourite pancake recipe:

Cream cheese pancakes with berries and Greek yogurt:

For 2 servings you need:

1/2 cup cream cheese light

4 eggs

1 tbsp of coconut flour

1 tbsp of sweetener, agave syrup or honey

1 tbsp cinnamon

A pinch of vanilla powder

Butter to fry in

Toppings:

1 cup Greek yogurt

1/2 cup raspberries

1/2 cup strawberries

Method

  1. Blend all the ingredients to create the batter. Heat up a saucepan with butter. Pour some of the mix into the saucepan, it should be enough for around 6 pancakes.
  2. Fry for about 90 seconds on each side, until golden.
  3. Blend the yoghurt and raspberries together. Top the pancakes with this mix and some sliced strawberries.