August 24th is National Waffle Day so Sheila Patterson, The Sugar Dietitian, joined us with three recipes to add more nutrition to the breakfast favorite.
CARROT CAKE WAFFLE DIPPERS
Ingredients
- 1.5 cup white flour
- 2 tablespoon ground flaxseed meal
- 2 teaspoon baking power
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 5 tablespoon butter, unsalted, melted
- 1 cup Greek yogurt, nonfat
- ¾ cup nonfat milk
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Make it carrot cake
Add: 1 cup finely grated carrots, 1½ tsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp ground ginger, and ⅛ tsp nutmeg.
Method
Add and whisk dry ingredients: flour, ground flaxseed meal, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Mix wet ingredients: melted butter, Greek yogurt, nonfat milk, maple syrup and vanilla extract.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir gently until combined.
Pour batter into waffle iron and cook until golden brown.
Turn them into dippers
Cook the waffles in a regular/full-size waffle maker.
Cut each waffle into sticks.
Toast them briefly in a toaster oven or air fryer to make the edges extra crisp.
Serve with a Greek yogurt cream cheese dip made with Greek yogurt, a little cream cheese, cinnamon, vanilla and maple syrup.
MINI WAFFLE YOGURT PARFAITS
Instead of one large trifle, make these individually, which is great for a smaller family breakfast, brunch or even a grab-and-go option.
Start with cubes of waffle, then layer Greek yogurt and fruit.
Repeat the layers and finish with berries and your favorite toppings.
Ingredients:
Cubed waffle
Greek yogurt (optional to add vanilla extract or tablespoon of maple syrup)
Fresh berries
Optional granola
Optional chia or flaxseed
Optional nuts or seeds
Nutrition Highlights:
Waffle: carbohydrates for energy
Greek yogurt: protein
Fruit: fiber, vitamins and minerals
Seeds/nuts: additional fiber and healthy fats
This is a really simple way to make the waffle part of a more balanced breakfast instead of having the waffle be the entire meal.
Family gathering idea:
If you're serving a larger group, you can turn this same concept into one large waffle yogurt trifle and let everyone scoop their own serving.
You can also set out fruit and toppings so kids and adults can customize their own parfaits.
SAVORY OPEN-FACED WAFFLE WITH EGG
You don't have to keep waffles sweet. Another easy option is to use a waffle as the base of a savory open-faced breakfast sandwich.
Top it with an egg or cottage cheese, avocado, and vegetables like tomato or spinach.
The waffle provides the carbohydrate, while the egg adds protein and the avocado adds healthy fats and fiber.
You can use a smaller waffle maker to make a kid-sized version.
Sometimes making a meal more balanced isn't about taking something away. It's about what you pair it with. Instead of eliminating the carbohydrate, I'm pairing it with protein, healthy fat and fiber to create a more balanced and satisfying breakfast.
You can learn more at thesugardietitian.com.
