Author, Editor, and Expert

SIGN UP FOR MY NEWSLETTER

breakfast Tag

Loaf of banana bread with one slice cut

One-Bowl Banana-Zucchini Bread

Posted in Blog by Jenna Helwig 0 Comments

This delicious recipe is a mash-up of two of my favorite simple baking projects: banana bread and zucchini bread. It's a quick bread, meaning that there's no yeast or kneading involved. And, unlike many similar recipes, it only requires one mixing bowl. This easy banana bread...

Read More
Zucchini Bread Waffles cut into strips

Zucchini Bread Waffles Recipe

Posted in Blog by Jenna Helwig 0 Comments

Waffles are a terrific food for self-feeding babies: tender, simple to cut into sticks, and easy to pack with healthy ingredients like whole grain flours and even veggies. These Zucchini Bread Waffles for baby-led weaning, from my cookbook Baby-Led Feeding, are one of my favorite recipes...

Read More
Pumpkin muffins

The Pumpkin Muffins That Made Me a Liar

Posted in Blog by Jenna Helwig 0 Comments
As parents when we want to convince our kids to eat new foods it seems natural to extol their health benefits. "Jicama is soooo fun to eat--and full of fiber!" "Milk will help fill your tummy and build strong bones!" "Plain yogurt is the best--none of those nasty added sugars!" Sounds enticing to me, but it turns out that kids are not impressed. A 2014 study found that children are actually less likely to eat a food if they have been told how healthy it is. Just like a kid, right? I witnessed this very phenomenon with my own eyes a few days ago. Saturday morning I baked pumpkin chocolate chip muffins adapted from a quick bread recipe in The King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion. I switched up the method a bit, subbed in some whole wheat flour, cut the sugar, and trimmed the amount of chocolate chips. The result was delicious -- tender, still sweet, and very pumpkin-y.
Read More

How to Improvise a Smoothie

Posted in Blog by Jenna Helwig 0 Comments
I woke up a few days ago knowing that I wanted smoothie for breakfast, but unsure what flavors I was craving. One thing led to another: I was running late, hadn't finished my coffee, and knew I needed to get blending asap. I spotted the half-pear left on the counter after Rosa's breakfast, glanced at my half-drunk cup of coffee, and knew I had the ingredients for a delicious drink. But how do you go from lukewarm coffee and half a fruit to a satisfying smoothie? If you know the formula, you have a pretty good shot. In the Introduction of SMOOTHIE-LICIOUS I break down the Anatomy of a Smoothie, the components that most smoothies need to come together well:
Read More

3 Ways to Power Up Breakfast

Posted in Blog by Jenna Helwig 0 Comments
In the May issue of Parents I share 22 ways to break out of your breakfast rut, from awesome add-ins for eggs to easy make-ahead options. I loved making this list, but let’s just say I didn’t always practice what I preached. Weekday breakfasts can be…uninspired. At least at my house. At least until recently. Rosa lives for breakfast; in fact most days I think it’s the only reason she gets out of bed. On the weekends her go-to breakfast is an egg on a bagel along with whatever smoothie I’m blending up that morning. On weekdays, for the longest time, she just ate cereal for breakfast. We’d alternate between Cracklin’ Oat Bran (her all-time fave—mine too!) and some other relatively low-sugar option. But for the last few months I’ve been making more of an effort, mostly because breakfast is a great opportunity to add extra nutrition to your child’s (and your) diet. Some breakfast is better than no breakfast, of course. But we can do better than that. Here are three easy ways to power up breakfast:
Read More