One of the biggest parenting pet peeves I hear from family and friends is trying to feed picky eaters. Many confess that no matter what they cook or how they cook it, their kids simply won't eat it. From texture to color to taste - there are a lot of picky kids out there, especially when it comes to veggies and healthy foods.
I absolutely love to experiment in the kitchen, and I'm always determined to feed my family as healthy as possible, but sometimes that means hiding the foods that are good for them. Whether it be sneaking some kale into a smoothie or chopped broccoli into a main dish, sometimes you just have to get a bit creative with how you approach your recipe and present the final dish to your family.
My daughter, for example, absolutely loves sweet potatoes. She also loves waffles; but then again, who doesn't love waffles? One morning I decided to use a leftover sweet potato in a homemade waffle mix. In that mix I also tossed a bunch of spinach. I had no idea how they'd come out, but they were absolutely delicious and my daughter devoured her breakfast. Now I make them all the time, and I love knowing that we're eating a breakfast my family loves—and that just happens to be filled with veggies.
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Homemade Sweet Potato Spinach Waffles
Ingredients
2 eggs
3 cups of flour (I use whole wheat pastry flour)
2 cups of water
1/4 cup of oil (I use either coconut or olive)
2 tablespoons of vanilla extract
1 large (or 2 small) sweet potatoes (peeled, cooked, and mashed)
3 big handfuls of spinach
1 teaspoon each of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger
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Directions
1. Mix eggs, flour, water, oil, vanilla extract and sweet potato until smooth (batter will be thick).
2. Add spices (vary the amount to your liking).
3. Mix uncooked spinach into your batter.
4. Cook the batter in your waffle iron and voila!
This should make about 8-10 waffles depending on how big or small you make them. If you want to add a little sweetness, top them off with a bit of pure maple syrup. The batch makes enough for my family to have leftovers, which taste just as delicious the next day heated up in the toaster. Bon appetit!
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