Healthy Churro Protein Waffles with Whipped Honey Yogurt

What’s for breakfast?

It’s a common question I often hear asked. Breakfast ideas, aren’t we all in need? Now hear me out on these healthy churro protein waffles. I know they aren’t “the” ideal healthy breakfast but we’re just keeping it real.

Food is meant to be enjoyed and if you can combine indulgence with health you have yourself a pretty delicious weekend treat.

By the way, I’m going to leave it up to you to judge whether this counts for breakfast or dessert.

But before we get to the waffles I want to answer a question I saw proposed on Facebook.

the question

“I have a problem, I like food and not the right kind of food. I don’t even know how to eat healthy and I have poor will power. When I get tired it’s the first thing to slide. I said it and now I’m going to try to figure out what to do about it.”

First I love that this person said this. Let’s be honest, we’ve all been here or maybe are here. Feeling stuck and uncertain about how to even begin and maybe if we dig deeper, questioning if we want to. Who are we to blame?

The thoughts of eating healthy have become popularized by hard, restrictive and slightly terrifying “food rules.”

We’ve been led down the slippery slope that food is the enemy and willpower is our answer, but neither of those are true, nor will they work. Let’s end the hype about what healthy eating should be and instead step into what that means for you, because you are unique.

step one

Recognize your body is unique, you have your own unique set of preferences, tastes and nutrient needs. There isn’t anyone else like you and that is a good thing. Now we just have to learn to love this and utilize this.

step two

Know, believe and trust the fact that food isn’t the enemy in this equation. Food is life-giving and in this it is meant to be enjoyed. But I know the questions, how can we enjoy healthy food like we do “junk food?”

Unfortunately biology kind of plays against us here because “junk” food is addictive. Biologically a carrot is much healthier than a cookie, however mentally a carrot doesn’t even compare to the taste of a cookie. Am I right?

So why are we making our mind choose such hard battles?

Why play this food fight if you are doomed to fail?

Unfortunately when we compare junk food to health food, it will never be as enticing because we know the tastes.

So let me propose an idea. What if instead of changing your habits based on willpower {which is also one of the weakest areas of our mind}, instead focus on changing our biological taste preferences?

the science of taste

Okay this isn’t the in-depth science but like the third grade version of taste. What we know about taste preferences is that we can change them. In fact our taste buds are constantly changing and we can experience this as we age. Think back to when you were a child, I assume there was a food if not a handful of foods that you didn’t enjoy but now as an adult you love.

I go to onions on this one. Strong, pungent, especially as a child and now as an adult much less potent.

Taste can change, as can our taste preferences.

How and why you wonder?

Well there are a lot of reasons but we’re going to stick with the basics of biology and metabolism. Your body craves what it burns as fuel. If you burn sugar as your primary fuel source, you are going to crave all the sugar. But if you can switch your body to rely on the more long-term and reliable source {dietary fat and body fat} you can notice a change in your taste preferences.

Think of it like a campfire… throw some kindling on the fire and it’s going to disappear quickly, this is the same as sugar. Throw a log on the fire and it burns slow and hot, this is the same as fat in your body.

bottom line

Focus on changing your biology to change your mind. Obviously your mind still matters but I would challenge you {assuming you have this same question} to focus more on the how and when of eating, rather than the what.

Because our biology is often changed by changing our hormonal flow and there is no greater way to do this than focusing on meal timing.

Not to mention, when you take the what out of the equation it seems a little more manageable. Because we all should be enjoying food and the food that we eat, even the health food needs to be made delicious.

step three

Instead of always focusing on the good and the bad, lets focus on more realistic changes, like the how and the when. To start with you could practice intermittent fasting. Or eating all of your food within a 8-12 hour window {aim to work towards 8 hours}. This means you can eat whatever you want in that hour {okay maybe not anything} as long as you allow 12-16 hours in the absence of food.

It changes your hormones, which changes your fuel source, which changes your preference, WITHOUT forcing yourself to change what you eat.

Once you get in the rhythm of that, you can start to focus on meal times rather than snacking.

Basically, focus less on what you should be eating and more on the when and how of your eating patterns now.

Food is not the enemy and I believe you can enjoy semi-healthy indulgences like this every now and then because that’s what creates balance, enjoyment and experiencing life.

If you’re not enjoying your food, then ask yourself why?

the protein waffles

Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t churro my waffles everyday, but I certainly would eat these protein waffles everyday. It’s about creating a rhythm that works for you. In my life, these protein waffles slathered in guacamole and a soft boil egg is a great way to start the morning {of course without the cinnamon and sugar}. Or cut in half to make a breakfast sandwich and you have my heart.

Once in a while it’s fun to mix things up. To create excitement and get your fill of “sweets” without indulging in a dozen donuts.

This is fun, exciting, delicious and yet controlled eating.

Maybe controlled wasn’t a good word choice, but you see where I am going with this.

Even if that means having a churro waffle or two.

the truth

You’re going to fall in love with these and I can guarantee you’re kids aren’t going to complain. Not to mention, the protein waffle recipe in itself is a family favorite and the same thing {with an additional tablespoon of olive oil} as these 5-ingredient blender protein pancakes that are on repeat in our house.

Delicious, filling, healthy and yet exciting.

Oh and that waffle maker serves a LOT of purposes. One of my favorites are these crispy waffled hash browns! Do you have a waffle maker? If not would you get round or square? Is it bad I kind of want one of each?

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