I love pancakes. I really do. Specifically, I love the special Bisquick pancakes that my husband makes for me. They’re light, fluffy, and cake-like. I’d probably eat pancakes every single day if they offered more nutritional value. Bisquick Original Pancake Mix only scores a 2 on the NuVal scale. But, even pancake mix can be traded up! Check out these higher scoring pancake mixes:
- Quaker Oatmeal Pancake Mix: 26
- Bob’s Red Mill Buttermilk Pancake & Waffle Mix: 26
- Bisquick Heart Smart Pancake and Baking Mix: 23
I used the Bisquick Heart Smart Pancake Mix to make banana pancakes for breakfast this morning. It tasted just like the Original version, but it’s much more nutritious for you.
Don’t my pancakes look delicious? To the mix, I added old-fashioned oats (NuVal score: 57), ground flaxseed meal (NuVal score: 100), sliced banana (NuVal score: 91), Teddie Unsalted Old Fashioned Peanut Butter (NuVal score: 49), and a squirt of maple syrup.
If you’re curious about maple syrup scores, they generally score low, which isn’t surprising since maple syrup is basically all sugar.
- Maple Grove Farms Butter Flavor Low Calorie Syrup: 26
- Cary’s Sugar Free Maple Flavor Syrup: 11
- Smucker’s Sugar Free Breakfast Syrup: 11
- Log Cabin Sugar Free Syrup: 10
- Aunt Jemima Butter Lite Syrup: 2
- Hungry Jack Sugar Free Syrup: 2
- Aunt Jemima Original Syrup: 1
- Vermont Maid Syrup: 1
Trading Up Downtown Giveaway
Here’s your chance to try the Bisquick Heart Smart Pancake Mix yourself! I’ve also thrown in a fun potholder set. 
Adorable, right?
To enter: Visit one of NuVal’s other blogs: A Better Bag of Groceries or Nutrition Outlook. Read through a few of their recent posts and leave a comment on this post about something you learned and/or enjoyed reading. I will randomly pick a winner on Monday morning.
Good luck!
Developed by an independent panel of nutrition and medical experts, the 
Hi Tina! I looked through Nutrition Outlook and I found her post titled “Whole Food vs. Juice” interesting, especially since a lot of bloggers juice on a regular basis. She confirmed what I figured -whole fruits are best!
I loved Melissa’s post about the retro popcorn. I had just gotten a hot air popper for Christmas and only use that now but it was cool to see a picture of an original popper since I’d never seen one! PS – I totally need some pot holders. We only have these old square knitted ones that don’t work and I almost burned myself yesterday for the bazillionth time!
Wow – I read that Del Monte Diced Tomatoes with No Salt Added are infinitely more nutritious than Del Monte’s Diced Tomatoes with Basil, Garlic and Oregano (77 vs. 28 on the NuVal scale). I am so glad I usually don’t add extra salt to my food!
Loved the post about popcorn on A Better Bag of Groceries. I’ve recently stopped buying microwave popcorn and it’s soooo much cheaper to buy kernels. Healthier too!
It is surprising to realize that part of the cause of the obesity epidemic is the endless variety of foods in our society (even the healthy ones!)
Love Melissa’s cart confesssions series
Great giveaway, can’t beleive how easy it is to pop your own popcorn, Melissa’s post was awesome
I’m a big fan of popcorn. I was happy to learn that I already use the best kind of kernel. I usually dump 1/3c of kernels into a paper bag and fire it in the microwave. I’ll definitely be trying the old fashioned technique!
Can’t belive that about the tomatoes either, so interesting what these sites teach us about nutrition
I really agree with the post about variety being the cause of obesity, all those tastes really do make you crave other foods,and the bites add up! Thanks Tina!
I love the Heart Healthy mix! I used to use it all the time and I sort of forgot about it. Thanks for the reminder! I won’t enter the giveaway because I think I have some in my cupboard! But, I will say that I love “A Better Bag of Groceries”.
Melissa’s Retro Popcorn post was great, I’m definitely going to cook up a batch for my next movie night, the kids will love it!
I have been reading A Better Bag of Groceries for a while and I love her Grandma’s Casserole recipe! I also like her Cart Confessions because it’s nice to know that we all can choose the wrong food once in a while.
Love the info on the Nuval scoring system that both sites offer
Ever since you’ve mentioned “A Better Bag of Groceries” I’ve been a follower. I think her blog is great and love her trade it up Tuesday posts!
I also love pancakes
Love the popcorn post-whole kernels all the way!
I’m totally going to start popping Orville from the kernel again, kernel popcorn rates so much higher than microwaved. Love the potholder set, can never have too many!!
i liked the post http://www.abetterbagofgroceries.com/2010/03/cooking-with-kids-sloppy-turkey-joes/.
i make rachael ray’s sloppy turkey joe’s quite often and it was great to see how the ingredients scored on the nuval scale
I loved the post on retro popcorn. I grew up making it the old fashioned way and was always amazed a a kid that my friends didn’t know how to make it. I’m 24 and grew up in the microwave popcorn generation, but still… Its always the first thing I cook in a new apartment or house. Its be tradition since I was a little Army brat and my mom cooked it for me! (as an adult I have been very unfortunate with it though, setting the oil on fire, burning my hands…)
From Nutrition Outlook I learned about the book The Help. After reading Omnivore’s Dilemma and In Defense of Food, I’m always looking for a book about nutrition… but without some crazy diet to go along with it. This book looks great!
On the “Baked Ziti with Turkey Sausage” post on A Better Bag of Groceries, I was surprised that an onion got a score of 93. I mean, it’s an onion, who knew it was so nutrient packed?
** The Full Plate Diet! I got my books confused. But I love books that combine the philosophy/ science behind their diets and then includes recipes so you can see them in practice. Excited to give it a read!
On Nutrition Outlook, I liked the “Bring Your Healthy Lifestyle on Vacation” post because I’m getting ready for a trip. Thanks for the giveaway!
I really like Melissa’s blog! I liked her post about asparagus– I never buy it because I’m not sure what to do with it but I’ll be picking some up this weekend after reading that!
So excited that goldfish score a 24 which is good for crackers because I love goldfish. Plus Nuval keeps up with all the latest changes to food products and just changed colored fishy’s from an 18 to a 24
. Although the colored one’s throw me off
I liked reading the “truth” behind Goldfish crackers. I keep hearing “they’re good” and “they’re terrible” but loved them as a kid.
I loved the obesity articles. It is such an epidemic in our country and I’m always looking to learn more.
It was interesting reading about the Goldfish.
I enjoyed today’s post on A Better Bag of Groceries. The OXO measuring cups look very nice!! I would love to have a set of them
Hi Tina:
I read “Retro Popcorn” on the Better Bag of Groceries blog and I am glad I did! I never knew how poorly microwave popcorn scored over just plain kernels. Even better is that she gives detailed instructions on how to make your own! I definitely bookmarked that information!
Those potholders would be a perfect addition to our new kitchen.
Wow… I just added “Better Bag” to my Google reader – great stuff… I learned about the best canned tomatoes in her great recipe for baked ziti with turkey sausage!
I loved both these blogs–Bookmarked them!
Loved the post about Kernel popcorn. I’ve been having a popcorn craving lately and this was inspiring!
I also like that she uses pictures for every step in her Green Monster shake!
And the Goldfish article was interesting.
Wow I actually really enjoyed reading Nutrition Outlook. One of the most interesting facts I learned is that in one year, children only eat about 18% of their meals at school. The other 82% are at home so really it’s the parents fault for not teaching their children how to make smart food choices and progressing the obesity epidemic.
I didn’t realize there was such a huuuuge gap between the NuVal scores of plain, old-fashioned popcorn kernels and microwave popcorn (even the low-fat/low-butter varieties)! Guess I’ll be popping my popcorn old-school from now on!
I learned how low microwave popcorn scores are from Melissa’s blog. I always thought of popcorn as a healthy snack. As soon as I go through my current stash, I think I’ll buy the kernals and try it on the stove top.
I enjoyed reading about school lunches on Nutrition Outlook. It’s so easy to just say that most school lunches are not healthy, but people never take into considering how much money it would take to change the situation. They work with what they have, and honestly, sometimes any food is better than no food at all. If parents have an issue with the shcool lunch, and have the money to afford it, they need to learn how to lack a healthy lunch for their children all by themselves. I love Jamie’s show, though, and can’t wait for the next episode!
Loved finding the recipe for the Healthy Cream of Carrot Soup. Never would have thought of adding OATS to a soup!
As a CHOCOLATE LOVER it’s thrilling to know Ghiardelli Twilight Delight scores a 21 when most candy scores around a 1 and most chocolate less than 10! Awesome!
Yum, A better bag of groceries had a recipe for Baked Ziti with Turkey Sausage that looked so yummy! i thought it was interessting to read that canned tomatoes vary in nu val scores so much based on the additives.
i learned that microwave popcorn scores MUCH lower than just the kernals in a jar because of the additives!
i read through Nutrition Outlook (great info!), and looked at both the Myth Busters and Cravings posts. I enjoyed reading the cravings article, and the tips and suggestions she had for dealing with cravings!
The egg boiling method for A Better Bag of Groceries’ Easter post might be worth a try for me–I’m always afraid of them bursting when I lower them in, and the tap water bath at the beginning would probably help a lot!
I just looked at Nutrition Outlook, and was very surprised that the Federal Rate of reimbursement for school lunches is only $2.68 per meal- which includes paying for staff, trays, etc.
okay so i went to the nutrition outlook one and i was glad to see that she talked about jamie oliver’s food revolution. I’ve been watching the show and wondering what anyone else thought about it, like if it was all fake and hyped up. Well, the post talked about how much it costs to actually feed kids school lunches and how its more complicated then just saying its the school’s fault children are obese. It was enlightening. All in all though, i like the show and i do hope that something changes with school lunches because i’m disgusted at my own school and have been all throughout high school.
Why does Log Cabin sugar free syrup get a much better score than Hungry Jack sugar free? (Not that either is good)
I just read about Melissa’s favorite kitchen items. The aprons she is featuring are adorable!
I loved the Baked Ziti recipe on A Better Bag of Groceries!
I was real impressed that Dreamfield’s Pasta scored an 81 Nuval score after reading about it on A Better Bag of Groceries!
I went to the nutrition outlook blog, and one concept I found interesting was the post on why logic isn’t the answer to health education. I can relate; even though I rationally know I should do something, I feel otherwise and end up eating wayyyy too much chocolate, etc. I think I need to start nurturing my feelings more instead of just trying them to shush up
Wow… I was reading a Better Bag of Groceries… I am surprised at how low on the Nuval scale microwave popcorn is!
I have been reading “A Better Bag of Groceries” for a while, and frankly, I was surprised about popping popcorn the “real” way! I have used microwave popcorn bags for several years, and I realized how unhealthy this is compared to real popcorn. I’m going to take the plunge and do it the old fashioned way!
I love the “My top ten favorite foods” post. I love chick peas and have them on my grocery list, but I had no idea the NuVal score differed in brands. Great info to help me get the most nutritional bang for my buck!
I didn’t realize greek yogurt has a better NuVal score than some cereals!! I need to invest in that more often…
I checked out a better bag of groceries and learned that salmon scores an 87. I’m so glad to learn this because salmon is my favorite fish of all time!
I learned about a great baked ziti recipe on A Better Bag of Groceries. Guess what I’m making tomorrow?
I also learned that my beloved goldfish crackers, although still a treat and not health food, are a bit better for me than they used to be. Yay!
I enjoyed reading all about the different popcorn prep methods on A Better Bag of Groceries. I’ve been wanting to switch over from microwave popcorn to the “old-fashioned” way of making it on the stove, and now I know how!
I read nutrition outlook, I love this blog. I agree that we are harboring food addictions, this post reminded me of the new show “food revolution” with Jamie Oliver, The food addiciton is starting with the Children of America and needs to stop!
I also follow a Better Bag of Groceries on my Google Reader. I like her Trade-up Tuesdays and the new products she finds through NuVal. I loved when I read in one of her posts that the Ghiradelli Intense Dark Chocolate bar scored a 21, much better than most
I learned which fruits and vegetables scored really high (kiwi) and others that didn’t.
I want to win!!!!
I loved the blog, Better Bag of Groceries! I especially enjoyed reading about popcorn rating with NuVal…OMG…so I sometimes have microwave popcorn but I also have the old fashion air popper…I never knew that the scores were so different…I think it was 91 for air popped vs. 20-something….wow.
I checked out http://nutritionoutlook.com/ and loved the post about how to bring your healthy lifestyle on vacation. Packing snacks in my carry on is a must for me. Airport for is not only mostly bad for you but also expensive! I always end up sharing some of my goodies with people I am traveling with who don’t bring their own snacks.
I just read through a few of the nutrition outlook articles. I liked the one on cravings. I liked how the fact that she KNOWS she craves sweets at 3pm leads her to plan a snack for then. Instead of knowing it will come and fighting to ignore it.
I learned how low microwave popcorn scores. I always thought of popcorn as a healthy snack.
Very cute! I learned that Pepperidge Farm Goldfish score a 28 on the NuVal scale.
I read “A Better Bag of Groceries” post on Easter eggs and was kind of surprised that eggs only score around a 33! I figured it would be higher…
I enjoyed reading the popcorn post. i used to pop my popcorn on the stove all the time. Lately i have gotten lazy though and have been buying microwave popcorn.
I really enjoyed reading about staying healthy while on vacation on Nutrition Outlook – and I learned a few things, too!
I just read A Better Bag of Groceries and learned all canned tomatoes are not created equal!!
I checked out the blog a better bag of groceries and spotted a nice looking guacamole recipe made with greek yogurt that I really want to try. I love creamy guacamole.
I read A Better Bag of Groceries and I was floored with the score microwaved lite popcorn received compared to the regular kernels. I used to snack on the 94% fat free popcorn all the time and assumed it was a super healthy choice. Now if I want popcorn, I’m going to make it the old fashion way.
found a great recipe-grandma’s casserole.
the nuval is very interesting
Loved this site! Haven’t read it before as I am new to cnc…lots of recipes to try and maybe I will wear an apron!
I thought the recipe for guacamole made with greek yogurt looked great (on A Better Bag of Groceries). I already bookmarked it to make at some point soon!
Yay for pancakes!
I enjoyed reading the recent post on popcorn (A Better Bag of Groceries). I’m glad natural popcorn has a pretty high number on the NuVal scale, and I learned how to pop popcorn without a special machine. I used to just toss 1/3 of a cup of kernels into a brown lunch bag and microwave that, but the method she described is the one I’ll try next.
It is crazt to me to read that so many kids eat 5 meals a week at school for roughly nine months out of the year, totaling 195 meals eaten at school in a year! I never bought lunch at my school, I guess I was lucky to bring such tasty and healthy meals from home each day until high school when I went home or to friends houses for lunch!
oops, I read that on Nutrition Outlook!
I looked at the post on A better Bag of Groceries about popcorn. I was really excited to see such a high score for it! I also didn’t know much about the NuVal system, but the note on the side clarified things for me
I was so shocked at how low the “healthy” microwave popcorn scored vs. the make it yourself kind. Such a shocker!! No more 100 calorie bags for me!
I learned how to pop popcorn on the stove — I’ve never done that before!
Maybe I’ll actually give it a try one of these days, instead of making the microwave bagged stuff.
I cannot believe that my MOST favorite snack, popcorn, gets a 91 on the Nuval scale. AMAZING.
I just added better bag… to my reader!
The school lunch info was interesting- been reading the school teacher lunch blog, and it’s interesting to see things from an outside perspective.
Pepperidge Farm Goldfish Colors post is quite interesting to read. Melissa’s posts are always fun and inspiring.
The article about food innovation at “Nutrition Outlook” was quite interesting. I do agree with this author that the more choices that we have, the more likely it is that we will eat more in order to try everything. One way this is apparent in my life is at the local self-serve fro yo shop. Routinely, there are 12 different flavors being offered, and of course I add a little of each one to my yogurt bowl until the dish is overflowing. Variety is tasty
Thanks for the opportunity! I checked out the “A Better Bag of Groceries” blog and really enjoyed reading the popcorn post. I learned that the kernels that you buy in the jar have scores in the 90’s, but the microwavable bags have scores in the 20’s! Good thing we buy the kernels and pop them in our popcorn maker!
Nice giveaway! I loved all of the two of my favorite things post
I learned that I’m not the only one that loves aprons and measuring cups (and, I can add measuring spoons to that). I can thank ThePioneerWoman,com for my measuring cup/spoon addiction – she always has the cutest stuff! But I have my Gramma to thank for my aprons…she always wore them and gave them all to me
I just bookmarked both of those blogs, so thank you for that
I enjoyed reading “My Soapbox about School Lunch” on the nutrition outlook blog. I’ve been hooked on jamie oliver’s food revolution. If you want to make a change in what the kids choose to eat at school, you have to make a change at home first! On another note, I absolutely love pancakes!!
Wow, hey, just found your blog, I love it. I never really paid much attention to the NuVal score, but I will now. Especially the popcon, what a huge difference. I’ll have to check out a few more tomorrow when I go to the grocery.
I found out about NuVal from your carrotsncake website and I am in love! I went grocery shopping this morning and to my surprise they now have Nuval numbers on most of the price labels in the store!!! I was so excited! Definitely a huge help in choosing healthier options. Keep up the good work!
It was very interesting to see the best canned tomato choice is Del Monte Diced Tomatoes with No Salt Added. Do you think that includes organic tomatoes?
I really enjoyed reading about taking a healthy lifestyle on vacation at Nutrition Outlook. I am vacationing for 2 weeks in June with my husband’s family – love them to death, but they don’t eat as carefully as I feel that I do. The tips were really useful and I intend to use them!
I was wondering how Hogsdon Mill mix scores?
[...] to everyone who entered the Pancakes & Pot Holders Giveaway! I’m glad that you had a chance to check out NuVal’s other blogs. Hopefully, [...]
[...] pancakes. Nothing starts my day better than a tall stack of light, fluffy, cake-like pancakes. But, I recently learned that many store-bought pancake mixes don’t score very high on the NuVal scale. For instance, [...]