Q & A with Katie Sullivan Morford, Registered Dietitian and Cookbook Author of Rise & Shine

Rise and shine, it’s breakfast time!

Q & A with Katie Morford, Registered Dietitian and Cookbook Author of Rise & Shine via RDelicious Kitchen @RD_kitchenphoto credit: Erin Scott, from Rise & Shine (Roost Books, 2016)

Katie Sullivan Morford, MS, RD of Mom’s Kitchen Handbook recently released a new cookbook! Katie is a talented food writer and registered dietitian with a master’s degree in clinical nutrition. She has a passion for helping families raise healthy kids through sound feeding habits, delicious recipes, and lots of patience. I was so excited when Katie sent me a copy of her cookbook!

What’s this cookbook all about? Rise and Shine is the answer for every parent who has struggled to get breakfast on the table and to get their child to actually eat it. With 75 breakfast recipes that are entry-level-easy, with at least half requiring no more than five minutes of hands-on prep time, every delicious recipe is an exercise in good nutrition and good taste. Written by a nutritionist with three children, this book arms parents with tips, recipes, and inspiration for making a nourishing breakfast doable and delicious. Rise and Shine is made for busy families and busy mornings, so when breakfast isn’t the priority, you can still eat something to start your day off right.

Q & A with Katie Sullivan Morford, Registered Dietitian and Cookbook Author of Rise & Shine via RDelicious Kitchen @RD_kitchenphoto credit: Erin Scott, from Rise & Shine (Roost Books, 2016)

What makes this cookbook stand out on the bookshelf? The recipes are healthy and approachable, with little prep time. I love how Katie provides nutrition education within the pages along with the recipes. She gives tips on how to remodel your breakfast in healthy ways, portion control, meal planning, plus so much more. The images are flawless as you flip through the pages and makes you excited to get up for breakfast in the morning.

Want to learn a little more how Katie got started with this book idea? Katie kindly answered some questions I had for her.

Why did you choose to write a cookbook solely focused on breakfast?
It came about after I was on tour with my first cookbook, Best Lunch Box Ever. A lot of the people I spoke with, parents especially, said they struggled with getting everyone fed in the morning before work and school. It was something I’d been hearing from folks through my blog as well. I figured there was already a good weekday breakfast cookbook out there, but when I did my research I found few resources focused on healthy meals for busy weekday mornings. It seemed like a natural follow up to my first book. I loved writing it.

What recipe from the cookbook do you make the most?
That is a tough one, since I tend to go in phases. A few regulars in the rotation are the Barely Banana Protein Pancakes, the Almost Instant Chocolate Breakfast Drink, and the Mini Spinach and Feta Frittatas.

From start to finish, how long did it take you to write this book?
It was about two years from the time I started the book to the time it was published, but actual writing and recipe development was about six months. After that there was some back and forth with my publisher over edits and about two weeks devoted to preparing for and cooking for the photo shoot.

What topic do you think your next cookbook will be about?
I’m talking to my publisher about an idea at this very moment, but I’m not ready to spill the beans.

Pancakes or Waffles?
Waffles. Crispy!

Eggs – preferred scrambled, sunny-side up, over easy or poached?
None of the above. My favorite eggs are soft boiled, still in the shell, with strips of whole grain toast to dip into the yolk. Rise & Shine has pretty foolproof recipe for doing eggs this way.

What do you hope people walk away with when they buy your book?
I hope they feel inspired and empowered to make delicious, healthy, doable breakfasts for themselves and their families. Homemade breakfast doesn’t need to be time-consuming or fancy to be good and good for you. I try to offer something for everyone in the book, whether that means a smoothie you can make in one minute, uncomplicated egg dishes, or wholesome muffins you can bake on a weekend afternoon and stow in the freezer.

Q & A with Katie Morford, Registered Dietitian and Cookbook Author of Rise & Shine via RDelicious Kitchen @RD_kitchenphoto credit: Erin Scott, from Rise & Shine (Roost Books, 2016)
What’s your favorite thing to make for breakfast?
RDelicious Kitchen @RD_Kitchen