Banana and Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Banana and Chocolate Chip Pancakes - These pancakes are delicious, lighter then traditional pancakes and a recipe that is easy enough to make with the kids. 

So guys, when I first started this blog, one of my aims was to try and get people to cook more with their kids. I know it isn't  something new but I feel it is an easy way to spend time with kids and give them confidence at the same time. Somewhere along the line, I myself lost track of that aim and now I have realised, I am even more determined to encourage others to cook/bake healthy treats with their kids or nephews/nieces.

Off topic..In our home we choose to eat a variety of foods and this includes curries, biryanis, soups. salads, casseroles, traybakes etc etc. We attempt to eat healthy most of the week but like most people, fall off the wagon occasionally. 

Clean or Healthy eating means different things to different people. Having a balanced attitude to food though is so important but a really really difficult thing to master. For me right now, clean or healthy eating means a diet including whole foods with hardly any processed foods. I buy some things organic and some things not and that is honestly down to cost. Lets be real, organic can be so expensive and when you are running a family those costs really mount up. One day, I hope to be eating only organic stuff. I also believe in doing what works for you right now. So I have friends and family on a variety of diets including:

Slimming World

Paleo

Cambridge

The one where you weigh all your macros

And you know what? It doesn't matter. Obviously I would love to encourage everyone to go on a traditional diet that works for their temperament and needs in accordance with Unani Tibb (this is what I am currently studying) but ultimately the person has to believe in the diet and want to make the change. If they don't believe in it, it will never work for them anyway. If at the moment, the Cambridge diet is what happens to be working for someone and it is getting them closer to their goals (e.g. quick weight loss), then that is ok with me. As long as they follow through with the maintenance part of it, that weight won't jump back on. I wouldn't necessarily recommend the diet but I also wouldn't criticise someone for making that choice. It reminds me of that famous quote: 'Do your best and when you know better, do better.' Basically we are transitioning all the time.

Change happens over time. In the meantime I won't let my wanting to be perfect (and eating according to my temperaments needs) right now, derail me completely. Ultimately it is about being kind to yourself and realising that you are human and shouldn't be so hard on yourself. So having a chip isn't the end of the world but having 3 pizzas and a bag of fries 3 days a week on the other hand kinda is but then again,  if it is an improvement on the past year, then thats ok because you are transitioning! Next year you may have worked yourself down to eating a cauliflower pizza for lunch and a salad for dinner. Who knows?