This month I have teamed up with the folks over at DOLE to bring you a heart-healthy, heart-inspired recipe for American Heart Health month. It also just so happens to be Valentines Day this weekend, so if you're looking to make something healthy, delicious, and sweet (and in the shape of a heart!), this recipe is for you.

February is such an easy month to get off track, forget about all of those health-related New Year's resolutions that we made only a month ago. The winter doldrums are in full effect, winter seems like it's been here forever, and spring seems like it's nowhere in sight. All we want to do when we get home from work is put on our favorite pair of pj's and plop in front of the couch with our favorite snacks, amiright? I find that I have to dig deep for will power this month. I have to make a concerted effort to get some sort of exercise daily, to eat healthy most of the time, and to resist the urge to purchase post-Valentines Day reduced price chocolate. And by the end of the month, I usually feel pretty good. March seems closer to spring than ever. The temperature has warmed enough to make outdoor activities enjoyable. We see a shift from winter produce to spring produce, and I not gonna lie, I am getting pretty excited for fresh local asparagus, greens, onions, and radishes.

I've been making a real effort this month to try and healthify my meals. Cutting down on butter. Using more healthy oils. Adding extra servings of fruit and vegetables where I can. I've cut down on the amount of white crusty bread I've been eating, and have been incorporating more whole grains into my diet. This recipe for whole wheat banana pancakes is one that I've been changing up for a while. I've managed to cut down the amount of oil to 1 tsp, I use a whole banana, whole wheat flour, and 2/3 cup of almond milk. With the addition of fresh fruit on the side, this is high fiber, nutritious, healthy breakfast option. And there's the added bonus that you get to shape these pancakes into adorable hearts, perfect for the person you love.

Don't get me wrong, I'm still going to enjoy a few sweet treats this Valentine's day, but I feel much better about myself when I'm eating healthy 90% of the time.

Note: To make the pancakes into perfect heart shapes, I used the  Norpro Nonstick Heart Pancake Eggs Rings.

Below are a few additional heart healthy recipes options available on the

Dole website

.

Heart Smart Salad

Heart in Hand Tart

recipe 

HEART SHAPED WHOLE WHEAT BANANA PANCAKES

makes 10 pancakes

notes: for the heart shaped molds, I used these

Norpro Nonstick Heart Pancake Eggs Rings

 available at Amazon.

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp salt

1/8 tsp cinnamon

1 small very ripe DOLE banana

2/3 cup almond milk

1 large egg

1 tsp canola oil

1/2 tsp vanilla

butter for frying

maple syrup

DOLE raspberries

DOLE strawberries

Preheat a frying pan on medium heat.

In a  small bowl, combine the dry ingredients.

In a medium bowl, combine the wet ingredients.

Add the dry to the wet and combine, do not over-mix.

Place a small dab of butter in the frying pan. The pan is hot enough when the butter sizzles.

Grease the heart molds with butter. Lay them in the frying pan. Spoon the batter into the molds, filling only half way up the mold. Once you can see bubbles forming on the tops of the pancakes, remove the molds and wait a few seconds. Flip the pancakes and cook on the other side until brown.

Serve with maple syrup, fresh strawberries and fresh raspberries.