Healthy Pumpkin Spice Orange Waffles [and morning routines]

Healthy Pumpkin Spice Orange Waffles made with Trop50 juice beverage, whole grain flour and dairy-free – Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside! Gluten-free friendly. Plus a chat about morning routines! It’s not what you think…

this recipe

This post is sponsored in partnership with Trop50. All opinions expressed remain my own, as always. Thank you for your support as I partner with brands I trust and think you’ll value – It helps make Fit Mitten Kitchen Possible!

MORNINGS. They have the ability to set the tone for the rest of the day, don’t they? For example, just the other day I slept past my alarm and therefore had a slow start to my morning… which then led to an extra slow start into the day, in part due to an extra long “to do” list lingering over me.

Working from home somewhat allows me have slow mornings because I make my own hours. But just because I work from home and sometimes start my days a little later than normal office hours, doesn’t mean I sit around all day never feeling stressed out. Working from home (and being your own boss) definitely brings its challenges.

Do you need a morning routine?

To answer my own question, I am going to just say that you don’t. 🙂  I think it’s okay to have a morning routine that looks a little different each day. I am slowly realizing this and it has made me feel so much better about how my mornings play out. But if you read any kind of self-help article or listen to podcasts about wellness, people often discuss their morning routines and how much of an impact it has on their day. So after listening to various podcast episodes and hearing what people were doing in the morning I thought, “Well I need a morning routine too.”

I should journal…

I should do some yoga…

I should exercise…

Wait, I am going to do all of those things in the morning before I actually start my day? Each and every day? *cue the overwhelm*

The perfectionist in me wants a PERFECT morning routine. Please tell me I am not the only one who struggles with finding an actual morning routine due to black and white thinking and a Type A personality… 

rou·tine  (noun)  a sequence of actions regularly followed; a fixed program.

That definition throws me off. I take it too literally…

So I am here to tell you that maybe a morning routine that looks good on paper isn’t the best thing for you. Maybe you don’t actually need a set morning routine, but little healthy habits that set yourself up for a great day. Maybe every day looks a little bit different, and that’s okay!

Figure out what your goals for the morning are

Do you want to make drinking more water a habit?

Do you want to start journaling?

Do you want to start your day with some movement?

Everyone is different, but social media has a way of getting us to play the comparison game. But let’s think about what really works for us, as individuals. Don’t let what others do in their mornings, make you feel less about what you do in yours. It is of course okay to be inspired by someone, but don’t let that inspiration and motivation cause you to feel inadequate. Everyone’s situations are different and what works for one person isn’t going to work for everyone.

If you have a goal to start journaling in the morning, then do it! But if journaling in the morning doesn’t work for you, maybe you think about journaling in the evening. Heck, maybe you don’t even want to journal – Though I do recommend it… Journaling and practicing gratitude has helped me tremendously this past year. 

I certainly don’t have it all figured out (does anyone?!) and don’t feel like you have to either 🙂

Healthy Pumpkin Spice Orange Waffles

Alright, obviously these orange waffles are not a part of my everyday morning routine. But everyone needs a good waffle recipe, and these orange waffles just so happen to be made with whole grain flour and dairy-free. AND we’re using Trop50 in the mix for an orange flavor boost.

Trop50 has the delicious taste of OJ with 50% less sugar and calories. We’re not adding in any additional sugar to the waffle batter either because Trop50 helps add a natural sweetness. Trop50 also makes the waffles crispy on the outside but soft on the inside – the perfect waffle texture!

And because it’s fall we’re also adding pumpkin spice. I mean, why not? It actually pairs really well with orange.

what you need

Whole wheat white flour or 1:1 all-purpose gluten-free flour
Baking powder
Salt
Pumpkin pie spice
Medium orange
Pumpkin puree or applesauce
Oil
Eggs
Vanilla or orange extract
Trop50 
Non-dairy milk 

The waffles can be made ahead of time and stored in the freezer too! Just pop the waffles into the toaster oven for 5 minutes or so.

Now these Healthy Pumpkin Spice Orange Waffles really can become a part of your morning routine if you’d like 😉

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