Almond Butter Banana Waffles

Ah, good morning!

I’m sharing a super simple, super nutritious, and super delicious waffle recipe with you today. Believe me, you’ll be begging for more before you’re even done.

These waffles have LESS carbs, MORE protein, and the same amount of fat as a serving of eggo waffles!! WITHOUT the sugar either (they have 6g)!

Ingredients (makes 1 waffle):

1 ripe banana
1 egg white (3 tbsp)
1/2 tbsp almond butter + more for serving
1/2 tbsp chia seeds
1/2 tbsp cinnamon (I personally like a lot)
1 tsp vanilla extract (if not on Paleo, Whole30, Sugar Free diet)

Method:

Mash your banana with a whisk. Mix in the egg white, chia seeds, cinnamon, and vanilla.

Once mixed, add in your almond butter.

Grease your waffle iron and spread the mixture. Cook as you normally would. I personally like mine on a darker setting. It takes a little longer for these ingredients to form together as there isn’t any flour.

Serve with melted almond butter and sliced bananas. Serve with syrup. Serve with jam. Regardless of how you serve it, you’ll love it.

The best part is…if you want, you can double, triple, or quadruple the recipe to make ahead and then store in your freezer. Wake up, toast a waffle, spread some almond butter on top, and breakfast is on the table in seconds!

Nutrition (per 1 serving):

223 calories
6g fat
27g net carbs
9g protein

I love that while you’re still getting carbs from the banana and chia seeds, they are low glycemic. Which is why we like those ingredients! Plus check out all the health benefits of chia seeds that I linked to above.

I’ve never known a single waffle to have 9g of protein…i’m all about it.

These waffles are high in fiber with 8g. Me oh my.

You’ll think you’re cheating with this recipe, but you’re really not. Make the waffles and let me know how they turn out!

Friday Favorites: Favorite Gluten Free Products

Well, 2 weeks ago I did a Friday Favorites post on my FAVORITE lactose free products. And seeing as I can’t have lactose or gluten, I knew it was only right to do one for gluten free products.

Gluten free products are becoming SO POPULAR now days. I mean there’s a gluten free section in just about every grocery store that you go into. I guarantee you that I have tried every brand of every product. I’ve been on the hunt for gluten free products for about 4 years now (back when it wasn’t as popular). But the ones I have listed below are my FAVORITES. Trust me, you’ll want to listen. Don’t waste your time and money like I have 😉

*Now all of these items are when i’m not doing my sugar detox just FYI*

Tips for gluten free eating:

1. Read labels because gluten is in the most random of things…think: soy sauce, spices, “cream of” soups. (More to come on that.)
2. No flour or wheat. However, rice flour and corn flour are okay. This can get tricky.
3. No fried foods as it’s usually fried in flour.
4. Don’t eat gluten free unless you have to and want to give up gluten for good!! There’s no going back and forth…I learned the hard way.
5. You’ll hear me say it 3095325 times, always go popular name brands. They’re usually the best.

Bread

Bread was BY FAR the hardest thing when it came to gluten free eating. Gluten is the protein found in flour and wheat, so it basically the elastic that holds it together. Without gluten you have bread that falls apart. I cannot tell you how many times I have made some bread and it’s fallen apart in my hands or it’s been too dry to even eat. This loaf of bread below will change your life.

This bread is everything. I get the whole grain, but they are both delicious.

A turkey melt, a grilled cheese, with peanut butter and banana, or with egg and avocado in the morning…it doesn’t matter. You will love this bread and I would place my life on that one 😉

Cornbread

Truly I haven’t found a cornbread mix that I haven’t liked, but right now we only get Aldi’s (you’ll see this as a running theme during this post).

And we eat it like it’s dessert. Seriously, I have to hide it or i’ll eat half in one sitting.

This is my second option (and Glutino is good too).

Pasta

I haven’t purchased any boxed pasta that is bad, so really I would just say to go with your favorite pasta brand. We get this one and Barilla a lot. Luckily, most brands are making their own gluten free!

I honestly don’t buy boxed pasta, I usually just eat whatever we are having minus the pasta. When I want the feel of pasta I usually get these tofu noodles, spaghetti squash, or some zucchini and make zoodles.

Crusts/Baking

There are a lot of restaurants that are now making gluten free pizza crusts. My three FAVORITES are from:

Happy Joes
Papa Murphy’s
Pie Five

If I ever want to make some of my own gluten free crust, Pillsbury’s thin crust is so delicious. And crispy. And when I want pizza crust, I don’t want it soft!

Another frozen crust I like to keep in my freezer if i’m wanting pizza is from unrefined bakery. It’s super simple, too!

They also make muffins (that my mom got me for my birthday a couple years ago) and I really liked it.

Betty Crocker makes some amazing mixes. And Pillsbury, too. Stay with those name brands people (i’ll keep repeating that!).

Snacks

Now I don’t buy packaged goods, but on occasion I do and when I do…these are the ones I get.

Larabars are awesome. They’re made from natural ingredients and are therefore very healthy for you. This is one packaged good that I always have on hand.

Nuts, raisins, trailmix, etc. is all naturally gluten free. This is why I don’t understand why people always ask me what I can eat. There’s so many foods that are naturally gluten free that I can always find something. It’s just usually not the processed and fried foods most are used to.

Walmart’s brand is our FAVORITE pretzels. My mom eats these over regular pretzels just because she liked them better. They’re so much more crunchy!! (YAY G-FREE). We’re also a fan of Aldi’s brand and Glutino.

These are without a doubt the best gluten free crackers. There are so many kinds that you can purchase, but honestly just stick with these!

And as a kid I would put away peanut butter crackers like no other. Well, when I found out the company who makes them finally came out with a gluten free brand I was all about it.

They’re crunchy too. One thing i’ve really noticed with gluten free products that are packaged is that they’re way more crunchy than normal products. I don’t even remember what normal tastes like anymore.

Breakfast

I mean…eggo makes waffles. Don’t try anything else, just get these!

Rice and corn are your best friends, gluten-freers. And now Chex (and Cheerios) are gluten free! Woohoo!

Many mornings I love an english muffin. And when I do, it’s got to be Glutino’s. And burnt…because who eats their bread and english muffins not burned??? #gimmeallthecrunch

Randoms…

I use oats in many of my recipes and I always go with Bob’s.

I’m not a big alcohol drinker, so this one isn’t a big deal for me. If you’re gluten intolerant and you like beer, this is the best brand that I have had so far.

You can find cookies in any gluten free section grocery stores. Kylie sent me these cookies and they were super crunchy and chocolatey…what more could you want? 😉

Before I started making my own chicken tenders I found out that Tyson started on gluten free too. If I could have one meal for the rest of my life it would be chicken tenders and sweet potato fries. SO THIS IS BY FAR MY FAVORITE.

Watch out for…

Cream of Mushroom has gluten in it. Why? I do not know. I haven’t been able to try this because I can’t have the cream, but it’s the only one on the market, so I would suggest it to  those who can have the cream.

Seasonings! What?! Yes, make sure these read gluten free too!

If you didn’t already gather, my favorite brand right now is Aldi’s. Mainly because it’s cheap but they’ve also got good product. If you have to eat gluten free you know that it is expensive. Any money you can save is such a help.

If you’re new to gluten free…go straight to the gluten free aisle while you’re still learning to read labels. And then, if you need any help, be sure to ask me! I’ve become an expert by now 😉

OKAY FELLOW G-FREERS….how’d I do. You agree or disagree with my finds?!