Not All Pancake Mixes Are Created Equal

A baking mix is an excellent way to save time, money and reduce waste while creating a delicious stack of pancakes/a batch of cookies/a tin of cake in no time at home. Baking mixes have been around for ages, and it's been a rarely questioned category. 

Betty Crocker mixes have been around since 1921 and are a firm favorite of the US consumers. The image of Betty Crocker has survived several generations, enduring political, societal and economic changes. 

Read the label at the back of their pancake mix more carefully, and you'll see that it contains palm fat and dextrose.

Palm fat is, essentially, palm oil, which recently found its way into many packaged foods as manufacturers look for low-cost oils to replace trans fats. Highly saturated fats turn rancid more slowly, so food companies often use them to help preserve taste and texture. Lately, palm oil was found to increase certain heart disease risk factors in some people. 

Dextrose, on the other hand, is even more misleading. It is a common type of sugar that isn't called sugar! Dextrose is a form of glucose derived from starches. It is one of the most commonly used ingredients in packaged foods because of its affordability and ability to extend shelf life. One study showed that Americans on average get about 15 percent of their calories from added sugars, such as the dextrose in processed foods, and those who consume the most added sugars have twice the risk of developing heart disease! 

When creating our Morning Dreamers Pancake Mix, we firmly stood against any added nasties or hidden sugars. We believe that a mix should contain only natural ingredients, contain no refined sugar and provide nutritional benefits such as protein and fiber.