Heathy cake mix, pancake and muffin mix- what is a good brand?

has anyone heard of Pamela's pancakes mix or chocolate brownie mix? 

I am trying to compare between pamela chocolate mix brownie ( has 10 g of sugar in serving)

http://www.pamelasproducts.com/Products_frame s.html

and no pudge fudge brownie. ( has 22g of sugar per serving).

Arrowhead Mill pancakes mix sounds not bad with 200 cals per two pancakes.http://www.arrowheadmills.com/products/produc t.php?prod_id=1648&cat_id=169

anyone has other ideas? brands? 

thanks

You know you can make about 6  pancakes with 1 egg, 2oz flour and a quarter pint of milk/water mixed.....   http://caloriecount.about.com/pancake-batter- recipe-r221092   Cook all 6 and freeze the spare ones for another day.  Only 54 cals each, according to CC.

oh Gi-jane, thank you so much. I really wanted to eat pancakes today and didn't know what to do. I was about to buy anything from the store today. 

would it work without the cooking spray? I don't have any but it sounds like I will have to buy one. do  you use Pam?? 

You don't need a spray, just damp a piece of paper towl in oil and whipe the hot surface with it.

UD

you know, UD, I am seriously thinking about buying a non stick frying pan so I can fry or cook my food without the oil. I dont even have oil now.

I also use a "non-stick" skillet, but it's not the one that requires no oil because it is covered with teflon, it just requires less oil. Oil is really not a bad thing in moderation, and is healthy.

For stir frying I add a bit to a cast iron WOK to get things rolling and sautay green onions, crushed ginger and garlic before adding the rest of the stuff. Then I just add a splash of water or reduced sodium chicken stock to keep things from sticking.

UD

A good non-stick frying pan makes lower-calorie cooking a lot, lot simpler!!  I have a refillable olive oil pump spray because I don't like the nasty aerosol stuff.  The idea about wiping an oiled or buttered piece of kitchen roll on the cooking surface is an excellent one.

I'm always tempted to buy Bob's Red Mill brand pancake mixes. I usually just make a mix from scratch. 

Original Post by umneydurak:

I also use a "non-stick" skillet, but it's not the one that requires no oil because it is covered with teflon, it just requires less oil. Oil is really not a bad thing in moderation, and is healthy.

For stir frying I add a bit to a cast iron WOK to get things rolling and sautay green onions, crushed ginger and garlic before adding the rest of the stuff. Then I just add a splash of water or reduced sodium chicken stock to keep things from sticking.

UD

and if I pick a non stick skillet, how would I know if it requires no oil or less oil? I thought a non stick means I don't have to worry about oil. ( if I pick a good brand). I posted a few weeks ago about this and got some good feedback.

When it comes to non-stick you get what you pay for.  It's not just the quality and longevity of the non-stick surface but also the thickness of the base of the pan.  A pan with a cheap, thin base will warp over time and then you get uneven cooking. 

In my experience, even with the finest non-stick and the most expensive pans you still need to keep it 'seasoned' with a little oil.  Don't surgically wash the pan after every use (unless you've been cooking fish or something else smelly) but rather wipe it clean.

I don't want to use oil, Gi-jane. That is the problem :( it is a big problem because I miss certain foods that I can't prepare without oil. at one point, I just go to the store and buy them ready made. :( like now, I am really thinking about buying vita top muffins. I know I will end up eating the four pieces. it is 100 per muffin but maybe I will consider that my lunch. sometimes, I feel sick of tuna with quinoa.

What on earth is wrong with oil?  A half teaspoon of oil is all you need to grease a non-stick pan.... 20 cals, if that?  We need a certain amount of fats in the diet because they contain vitamins that aren't available from other foods.  A fat-free diet is very unhealthy for a lot of reasons.

BTW... if you go to a store to buy foods ready-made and they're emblazoned 'fat free' they will be pumped full of something else to compensate.  You're much better off with the half-teaspoon mentioned earlier.

Just wanted to post that I am in a complete agreement with gi-janes post on non-stick  pans and oil thing. Keeping it well seasoned is the key which comes from cooking frequently and using oil (even if not much). Also a tea spoon of oil won't kill you, and as I mentioned previously. It has health benefits.

UD

Original Post by gi-jane:

What on earth is wrong with oil?  A half teaspoon of oil is all you need to grease a non-stick pan.... 20 cals, if that?  We need a certain amount of fats in the diet because they contain vitamins that aren't available from other foods.  A fat-free diet is very unhealthy for a lot of reasons.

BTW... if you go to a store to buy foods ready-made and they're emblazoned 'fat free' they will be pumped full of something else to compensate.  You're much better off with the half-teaspoon mentioned earlier.

20 cals?? :)) you made my day.   every time, I look at the cals of a canola oil, it is 120 CALS PER ONE SERVING. I get 80 cals from flaxseed when I need fat in my diet. I also eat avocado so I didn't see the point to use oil if I can use the non stick fry pan. 

I forgot to mention that the reason I was asking for a good pancake or cake mix is I really crave them and don't want to waste ingredients like last time. I tried to make papaya muffins but failed. I wasted all the ingredients. maybe there is a healthy mix out there that could save me time and money.

Original Post by safina1:

20 cals?? :)) you made my day.   every time, I look at the cals of a canola oil, it is 120 CALS PER ONE SERVING. I get 80 cals from flaxseed when I need fat in my diet. I also eat avocado so I didn't see the point to use oil if I can use the non stick fry pan. 

120 cals is for a one tablespoon "serving" - in other words, the big swirl that a lot of people use (and that you'd probably have to use if cooking for six).  One teaspoon of oil is 40 calories and a half teaspoon of oil is 20 calories.  Any kind of oil - canola, vegetable, olive, peanut, they're all about the same calorie-wise.  To cook for one, you definitely don't need more than 1 teaspoon of oil (40 cals) and could normally get away with half a teaspoon (20 cals).

I make the Fiber One pancakes and they are awesome (especially with walnuts in them)!

I use a good non-stick pan and use no oil or butter.  They come out perfect.  You have to get the pan the right temp.  Usually for me it is right in the middle of high and low.  Right before I put in the first pancake, I wet my fingers and splash the pan to see if it is ready or not.  If it is ready the water will sizzle and disappear.

thanks, yogagirl. what brand do you have? I am shopping for a good non stick pan.

I have the Bialetti - all the sizes.  But if you can't find that brand - pick up anything that feels rather heavy!  The light-weight ones don't last long at all.  Also, I wash mine by hand and not in the dishwasher.

thanks everyone for the information. It helped a lot. 

I forgot to ask one more question.

What do you eat with pancakes? I am going to give Gi-jane's recipe a try. what is a healthy addition to the pancakes? honey? jam? or something non sugary? I am trying to avoid sugar.

Light whipped cream is really good on pancakes and it doesn't have that much sugar.  (Mine says 1g of sugar per 2 Tbsp.)