Oatmeal Waffles

One of the ways I’m trying to get healthier is to incorporate more fiber into my eating plan. Being overweight brings lots of health issues and for a long time, my cholesterol levels were high enough that I was put on medication. Cholesterol medication, as well as many other medications, is very bad for your liver. The possibility of a bad liver someday and recently, bad cholesterol is bad news…I’m only 40! After talking to my doctor and researching natural ways to lower my cholesterol, I found that could be as easy as incorporating more fiber into my diet and exercising a little more. I’m happy to say that after only 4 weeks of consuming more fiber and beginning my workout plan, my doctor was able to lower the dose and I promised him that at my 6-month checkup, I’d be healthy enough to be medicine-free! So that’s my plan!

Dietary fiber can be found in veggies, fruit, and whole grains and provides health benefits to your digestive system as well as lowering your risk of diabetes and heart disease. A high fiber diet also helps to lower cholesterol, control blood sugars and aids in weight loss. Recently, researchers have found that one of the best forms of dietary fiber is flaxseed meal. Have you seen this stuff? Looks kind of like sawdust; not very appealing. I’ve tried it raw, as in sprinkled over oatmeal and in yogurt and it’s not very appetizing, either. But what I HAVE found is that if you incorporate it into other cooked or baked items, you don’t even know it’s there! Be sure that you buy ground flaxseed meal, and not just flaxseed…our bodies do not digest the whole flaxseed as well and so all the benefits inside that little dude just leaves our bodies.

Last weekend, I was super hungry for Belgian Waffles. Waffles get a bad rap because most people think they are on the “naughty” list. But the truth is there are many frozen waffle varieties out there that are actually pretty tasty and good for you.

While I love the convenience of frozen foods, I also love to cook from scratch when I can and I’m always looking for ways to make things healthier that are also tasty…and it doesn’t hurt if it’s yummy enough that I can get my thin Hubby to eat it, too!

So I set out to make a healthy version. After looking at different recipes online, and incorporating some other ingredients, this is what I came up with and it was not only good, I swear, it was better than my regular old buttermilk version – really! It cooks up crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside…but beware, if you’re looking for light and fluffy, this is not it! The mixture of the whole wheat flour, oatmeal and flaxseed meal makes for a very dense waffle.

Enjoy! It’s now going to be my go-to Waffle recipe!

Note: Have your waffle iron preheating; the mixing goes fast and you should use the batter right away. Also, if your batter seems too thick, add a little more milk until it’s the right consistency: thick but pourable.

In a large mixing bowl, stir together these ingredients and set aside:

1 ½ cups whole wheat flour
1 cup quick cooking oatmeal
2 T flaxseed meal
1 T baking powder
½ tsp cinnamon (feel free to use more if you like!)
¼ tsp salt

In a separate small mixing bowl melt 3 tablespoons of butter or light butter; then

Add the following ingredients to the melted butter and beat together:

3 egg whites
1 ½ cups reduced fat or fat free milk
2 T brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Add wet ingredients into the dry and mix together.

Lightly grease the iron with a non-stick cooking spray and ladle batter onto the iron. Resist the temptation to peak during cooking time! Use a fork to remove the waffle when it is done.

Top the waffle with your favorite toppings: maple syrup, sugar free maple syrup, fruit, yogurt…so many options!

These freeze really well so if you have some leftovers, pop them in a freezer bag to enjoy another day!

One serving (one waffle) = 274 calories*
(*Please note that I will try as often as I can to incorporate the calorie value per serving. For my journaling, I count calories in and calories out; simple as that! I also apologize in advance for my math skills :) I utilize an online analyzer tool that provides it's own disclaimer so I hope to be right more often than I am wrong!)