Pancake Day recipes: Healthy sweet and savoury ideas for Shrove Tuesday

If by some miracle of willpower you have managed to stick to a healthy diet since the start of the year, just the thought of Nutella melting over hot pancakes on Shrove Tuesday may be enough to send you over the edge and abandon your saintly ways. 

But pancakes don't have to be filled with sugar and saturated fat to be enjoyable - and a healthy lifestyle isn't necessarily one void of indulgent treats. 

Below, Carly Tierney, health and fitness expert at DW fitness, offers her best advice for making nutritious pancakes. 

"Pancakes are a favourite breakfast food, and many varieties provide a number of essential nutrients. However, they can be high in calories from sugar and fat, especially if you eat them at a restaurant or top them with a lot of butter and syrup. You can make more nutritious versions of pancakes at home," she said. 

"Plain pancakes can be a good source of vitamins and minerals. You can make them even more nutritious by ditching the unhealthy toppings like cream and jam and instead add chopped fruit, nuts and veggies. 

"The way that you cook your pancakes can also make a massive difference to the calorie content and how healthy they are. Try replacing your usual butter or vegetable oil with low-calorie sprays or a small amount of coconut oil and always use oils sparingly."