By Rip Esselstyn



These rule! Make the whole batch over the weekend, freeze any extras, and microwave one for a midweek breakfast on the go.

Makes 4 square waffles

Ingredients:

2½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats

¾ cup finely chopped walnuts

¼ cup flaxseed meal

zest of ½ orange

½ to ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 medium banana, smashed

1 to 1½ cups almond milk

Instructions:

Preheat a waffle iron. In a bowl, combine the oats, walnuts, flaxseed meal, orange zest, and cinnamon. Place two-thirds of the mixture into a food processor or high-speed blender.

Blend until the mixture has a flour-like texture. Return to the bowl with the remaining one-third of the dry ingredients; this step ensures that the waffles have a chunky texture. If you prefer a smoother, uniform texture to your waffles, blend all of the dry ingredients initially. Add the smashed banana and almond milk to the dry ingredients in the bowl. Mix thoroughly with a fork; the batter will be fairly thick. If you prefer a thinner batter, add more almond milk. Portion the batter thickly onto a preheated waffle iron and spread it out to all corners. Close the lid, and cook the waffle according to the manufacturer’s directions for your waffle iron. When done, remove the waffle from the iron—some waffles require the assistance of a chopstick to encourage release from the waffle iron. Top with the fruit of choice and/or syrup and serve.

Rip Esselstyn is a mission-driven man. As a swimmer at the University of Texas at Austin, he was a three time All-American. As a professional athlete, he was one of the premier triathletes in the world for more than a decade. As a firefighter for the Austin (TX) Fire Department, he helped people and saved lives. As a friend to other firefighters, he transformed the way Austin’s Engine 2 ate to save firefighters’ health. Now, as the author of The Engine 2 Diet, he is teaching people the irrefutable connection between what they put in their mouths and their ability to reach their ideal weight and their ideal health. Recently, he has teamed up with Whole Foods Market as a Healthy Eating Partner to raise awareness for Whole Foods Market team members, customers, and all of America about the benefits of eating a PlantStrongÔ diet composed of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds.

Rip comes from a family steeped in medicine. His great-grandfather, George Crile, co-founded the world-renowned Cleveland Clinic, where his father, Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr., was chief of the breast cancer task force and completed one of the most extensive studies ever conducted on the relationship between the heart and diet–proving that a plant-based diet can stop, prevent, and even reverse heart disease.

Rip serves on the Board of Directors for The Wellness Foundation, EarthSave’s Meals For Health Program, and the AllergyKids Foundation.