Healthy Holiday Breakfast Ideas

As a child, I loved filling every pocket of a Belgian waffle with maple syrup. On special mornings, like Christmas, I would top the little syrup swimming pools with tiny twisted-star- swirls of Redi-whip. There was something so magical about the way the syrup and whipped cream slowly melted into the walls of the waffle, creating a tender sugary breakfast delight.

I still love waffles, I still love filling the pockets with syrup and I still save the Redi-whip for special occasions, like Christmas morning.

Being a dietitian, I do try to make things a little more nutritious, even at Christmas time.

The easiest way to make any baking recipe more nutritious is to use whole wheat flour.

Whole wheat flour is healthier for two reasons:

1. It has more fiber

2. It has more nutrients

The extra fiber slows down digestion, which prevents blood sugar spikes and feeds the good bacteria in your gut.

Whole wheat waffles are just as yummy when you make them with whole wheat flour.

Here's my go-to whole wheat waffle recipe from King Arthur Flour: https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/whole-wheat-waffles-recipe

I always use canola oil because it's healthier than butter, and a lot less expensive.

image source: King Arthur Flour (link above)

I'm always on the lookout for other whole wheat recipes that taste just as good as the white flour version. One of my favorite nutrition bloggers makes these whole wheat crepes for her family every Christmas: https://www.realmomnutrition.com/recipe-whole-wheat-crepes/

The recipe is also a hit at my house, no one will ever guess that they are whole wheat.

image source: Real Mom Nutrition (link above)

Lately my husband has been really into making cinnamon rolls for our family. He will probably make some for Christmas morning. It's hard to make healthy ones taste good, but this recipe looks promising, I think we will give it a try! https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/whole-wheat-30-minute-mini-cinnamon-buns-and-they-are-healthy/

Image source: Half Baked Harvest (link above)

Last I'm going to share a favorite recipe that I make all the time, but could be special for your family if you've never had it before: https://www.ddinutrition.com/recipes-2/baked-oatmeal

My kids lovingly refer to this as "oatmeal cake." The walnuts on top really make it delicious IMO. I always make it with canned pears because fresh are just too hard to get ripe.

Image source: DDInutrition.com

That's all I have for healthy breakfast recipe ideas today! I hope you time off to make some yummy breakfast recipes for your family!

See you in January!