Yesterday, while sitting in the waiting room at the optometrist office, somehow my children found themselves entertained for an astronomical time (in 2 & 3-year-old world) entertained by a fish tank, I managed to read THIS article.  While it was nothing new really, the endless amounts of sugar we consume in this country (a whopping 27.5 tsp/day for the average american), it made me take an even closer look at our diet.

If you have read any of my posts about baking, you know I am a self-proclaimed “purist”.  My idol is Julia (we are kindred spirits after all…  I spent the majority of my screen time as a toddler parked in front of her chortling laughter and clumsy hands).  By this I mean, I usually don’t substitute in my baking to better our insides.  I often  stick to the light powdery white flour, creamed butter and processed sugar has the crunch that is suited for the gods, adding flax seeds… well they so often just end up lining my gums anyways…  You see?  But, the truth is, adjusting your baking to fit your families needs is not as death-defying as I once thought.  Whole wheat flour, kamut flour, amaranth flour they give your baked goods a bit of a nutty flavor.  Substituting sugar for a less processed option such as honey or maple syrup or agave nectar or even just a step below with turbinado sugar (which at the very least is less processed) can be pretty tasty!  Soak your grains!  Mill your seeds! (See? Your gums will thank you!  And the nutrition benefits shoot sky-high!)  If you strive for such results, the end will not be met in disappointment, but rather a happy conclusion that will save you from many hours of frustration: Seconds, thirds, fourths from your circle shaped baked good loving children will be welcome.  You will know they are chock full of the good stuff, so why not?

And if thats not enough to change my sugar filled mind, a new friend of mine and I were chatting about the combination of sugar and little boys yesterday and it struck me, why do I torture myself?  Why do I give them sugar at all?  It’s really a lose – lose situation in the case of boys (and girls for that matter!) who are in perpetual motion despite what they eat.

These muffins I used the apples nobody finishes.  Chunk off the bite marks, peel them, and your saving yourself another slice of frustration.  No worries about 2 dollar organic apples going to waste anymore!  I sprinkled turbinado sugar on top for a good crunch and there was no need for any added sweetness.  The blueberries and apples were enough on their own.

And these oat cakes, they were easy to alter!  Whole wheat flour and kamut flour, soaked oats, homemade greek yogurt, butter and a drizzle of maple syrup.  (Also her book is well worth a read!  Inspiring in the kitchen to say the very least)

Breakfast fit for a king.