One of the easiest ways to eat healthy is to make at least half of your grains whole. You can transform your family's favorite recipes -- like Belgian waffles and French toast -- into healthy ones rich in whole grains. iCarly's Reed Alexander shows us how it's done. Check out Reed's healthy kid favorites for you to try at home: 

BELGIAN WAFFLES

• 2 cups whole-wheat flour
• 1/4 cup raw sugar
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 1/2 cups nonfat milk
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 4 egg whites
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• canola oil spray OR nonstick cooking spray
• maple syrup, if desired, for serving
• additional waffle toppings (like berries or diced fruit), if desired, for serving

1. Preheat waffle iron to medium heat (follow manufacturer instructions).
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients – the whole-wheat flour, raw sugar, baking powder, and salt.
3. In a separate, medium bowl, combine the wet ingredients – the nonfat milk, applesauce, egg whites, and vanilla extract.
4. Add the wet ingredients into the larger bowl containing the dry ingredients. Mix thoroughly until there are no lumps in the batter.
5. When waffle iron is heated, thoroughly coat the interior top and bottom surfaces with canola oil spray OR nonstick cooking spray. Working in batches if necessary, pour the appropriate amount of batter into the wells of the waffle iron, close lid, and bake until golden brown, crispy, and cooked through (follow manufacturer instructions).
6. Remove waffles when finished and place on a heatproof plate or serving dish.
7. Drizzle with a little maple syrup and additional toppings (like berries or diced fruit), if desired.
8. Serve and enjoy!

TURKEY MEATBALLS

• 1 lb of lean ground turkey meat
• 1/2 cup wholewheat panko breadcrumbs (KewlTip: Panko breadcrumbs come from Japan! They’re a great choice for this recipe because they’re crispier and crunchier than regular breadcrumbs, meaning that the texture is awesome!)
• 1/2 cup of diced white onion
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 cup of low-fat Parmesan cheese
• 2 tbsp of fresh thyme, chopped
• 2 tbsp of fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 egg-whites
• 3/4 tsp of sea salt
• 1/2 tsp of ground black pepper
• extra virgin olive oil (for spraying baking sheet)
• 1/2 cup of grated zucchini (KewlTip: Use a micro-plane grater to grate your zucchini very finely! The grated zucchini is a kewl addition to these meatballs – it adds amazing moisture without changing the flavor of the herbs and meat!)

1. Preheat the oven to broiler setting. Lightly spray a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil with extra virgin olive oil. Set aside.
2. Add all ingredients into a large mixing bowl and mix with hands or a large wooden spoon until completely combined. (KewlTip: Don’t over-mix the turkey meat! This could break down the meat too much. Once all ingredients are just evenly mixed, you’re good to go!)
3. Using hands, roll all the meat into 12 individual balls of the same size. Place them on the baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and sprayed with extra virgin olive oil in Step 1 (see above). Space them evenly apart.
4. Place the baking sheet with the Turkey Meatballs into the oven and broil for approximately 8-10 minutes or until the tops of the meatballs are golden-brown. (KewlTip: Broil the Turkey Meatballs while the Tomato Sauce [see recipe for Tomato Sauce for Turkey Meatballs] is simmering on the stove-top!)
5. Take the baking sheet with the Turkey Meatballs out of the oven. Remove the Turkey Meatballs, set them aside, and discard the aluminum foil lining.
6. Place the Turkey Meatballs in the Tomato Sauce and allow the meatballs and sauce to simmer together over medium heat on the stove-top for approximately 15 minutes or until the meatballs are completely cooked through.
7. When the Turkey Meatballs are done cooking, remove from pan and serve with Tomato Sauce immediately. Enjoy!

KEWL FRENCH TOAST

• 4 slices of 100% wholegrain bread
• ¾ cup of egg whites
• 1 tbsp of nonfat skim milk
• 1 tsp of finely grated fresh orange zest
• ½ tsp of vanilla extract
• 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp of ground allspice
• 1 orange, sliced
• 1 tbsp + 1 tsp (or 4 tsp) of maple syrup (for drizzling each serving with 2 tsp of maple syrup)
• canola oil spray (for spraying pan)

1. Coat a pan with canola oil spray. Set over medium heat on the stovetop.
2. In a bowl, mix together egg whites, nonfat skim milk, orange zest, vanilla extract, ground cinnamon and ground allspice.
3. Dip each slice of bread into the egg white mixture on both sides.
4. Place slices of bread into pan and cook them for 2-4 minutes on each side or until golden brown.
5. Serve with orange slices and 2 tsp of maple syrup per serving.

KEWL KRUNCH BARS

• 2 cups of instant quick oats
• 1 cup of whole-wheat flour
• 3/4 cup of raw sugar
• 3/4 cup of roughly chopped dried cherries
• 1/2 cup of roughly chopped dried apricots
• 1/2 cup of wheat germ
• 1/2 cup of honey
• 1/4 cup of roughly chopped almonds
• 1/4 cup of roughly chopped walnuts
• 1/4 cup of unsweetened applesauce
• 1/4 cup of canola oil
• 2 egg whites
• 1/2 tsp of ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp of salt
• canola oil spray (for lightly coating baking sheet)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat a 9×13-inch baking sheet with canola oil spray.
2. In a large bowl, thoroughly mix all dry ingredients -- the instant quick oats, whole-wheat flour, raw sugar, wheat germ, ground cinnamon, and salt.
3. In a smaller bowl, thoroughly mix all wet ingredients -- the honey, unsweetened applesauce, canola oil, and egg whites.
4. Pour the mixture of the wet ingredients formed in Step 3 into the larger bowl containing the mixture of the dry ingredients created in Step 2. Stir to thoroughly mix the two, until a rich, thick batter has formed.
5. Stir into the batter the roughly chopped dried fruits (the dried cherries and dried apricots) and the roughly chopped nuts (the almonds and walnuts), until they are completely distributed.
6. Press the batter into the baking sheet, spreading it out until it occupies the full capacity of the baking sheet in a smooth and even layer.
7. Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for approximately 25-30 minutes or until the batter is cooked through.
8. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and allow the batter to cool completely in the baking sheet before cutting into approximately 20 rectangular bars. To do so, make a single cut down the center of the batter by slicing in a direction parallel to the longer 13-inch sides of the baking sheet.
9. Next, make ten cuts slicing from one 13-inch side of the baking sheet to the other, parallel to the shorter 9-inch sides of the baking sheet, with the first being made approximately 1 1/3 inches from one side of the baking sheet. Continue to make each of the remaining nine cuts at a distance of 1 1/3 inches from the previous cut, until approximately 20 Kewl Krunch Bars have been formed.
10. Carefully lift the Kewl Krunch Bars from the baking sheet. Enjoy this satisfying and nutritious treat!

Reed Alexander is best known for his role on Nickelodeon's iCarly and is founder of Kewlbites.com.

To learn more:

• Reed Alexander's Olympics-Inspired Recipes
• New Video: How to Make Your Grains Whole