Williams-Sonoma, the popular kitchen goods and cooking store, has several varieties of pecan-flavored waffle and pancake mixes available online and at their retail stores. When you add milk, butter and eggs to the mixes, you'll get a ready-to-bake batter that you can pour directly onto your waffle iron.
Types
As of late 2010, Williams-Sonoma has two types of pecan waffle and pancake mixes: a maple pecan mix and a Bouchon Bakery mix with a light cinnamon pecan flavor. A third variety, spiced pecan pumpkin, is in process of being phased out of circulation. The company also sells several other mix flavors that don't have pecans included, but you can always add the nuts while putting together the batter.
Nutrition Facts
The maple pecan waffle mix, when prepared with whole milk, has 290 calories, 4 g fat, 10 mg cholesterol, 450 mg sodium, 32 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, 5 g sugar and no protein in a single 4-inch waffle. The spiced pecan pumpkin variety has about 210 calories, 1.7 g fat, no cholesterol, 300 mg sodium, 25 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, 6 g sugar and 2 g protein in the same serving size. The company does not provide nutrition facts for the cinnamon pecan mix, which is released in conjunction with Thomas Keller's Bouchon Bakery.
Ingredients
The main ingredients in Williams-Sonoma's maple pecan waffle fix are bleached flour, candied pecans, corn flour, sugar, canola oil, baking soda, salt, powdered eggs, powdered buttermilk, soy flour and vanilla powder. The spiced pumpkin variety has similar ingredients with the addition of oat flour, pumpkin powder, cream powder, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Finally, the cinnamon pecan Bouchon Bakery mix has salt and cinnamon added and icing ingredients that include powdered sugar and cinnamon.
Alternatives
Eating a couple of waffles from a Williams-Sonoma mix with butter and syrup can be a breakfast that's heavy on calories and fat. Using healthier mixes, with fewer calories and more nutritious ingredients, can help lighten the calorie load. You can also shave off a few dozen calories and several fat grams by using skim milk to prepare the waffle mix instead of whole milk. Another viable option is to make your own waffles from scratch with nutritious, wholesome ingredients such as whole-wheat flour, egg whites and pureed pumpkin.
Considerations
Waffles are part of the grains group in MyPyramid.gov, which recommends daily servings of whole grains, nonfat dairy, lean proteins, fruits and vegetables. However, because the Williams-Sonoma waffle mixes are made with refined white flour rather than whole-grain flour, they're not the healthiest possible choice. One reliable strategy is to eat them in moderation as part of a healthy diet. If weight loss is your goal, speak to your physician about specific diet suggestions and health advice.
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