English: United States Coast and Geodetic Survey launch USC&GS Elsie III on Lake Okeechobee in Florida

English: Water in south Florida once flowed freely from the Kissimmee River to Lake Okeechobee and southward over low-lying lands to the estuaries of Biscayne Bay, the Ten Thousand Islands, and Florida Bay. This shallow, slow-moving sheet of water covered almost 11,000 square miles, creating a mosaic of ponds, sloughs, sawgrass marshes, hardwood hammock, and forested uplands. For thousands of years this intricate system evolved into a finely balanced ecosystem that formed the biological infrastructure for the southern half of the state. However, to early colonial settlers and developers the Everglades were potential farm land and communities. By the early 1900s', the drainage process to transform wetland to land ready to be developed was underway. The results would be severely damaging to the ecosystem and the species it supported.
With the support of many early conservationists, scientists, and other advocates, Everglades National Park was established in 1947 to conserve the natural landscape and prevent further degradation of its land, plants, and animals. Although the captivation of the Everglades has mostly stemmed from its unique ecosystem, an alluring human story of the Everglades is deeply interwoven with its endless marshes, dense mangroves, towering palms, alligator holes, and tropical fauna. Various groups and people navigated through and wrestled with the watery landscape to make it home, and even to exploit its natural wonder at times.

NPS Photo by Federico Acevedo

Image: Dwarf cypress trees are all staggered within the frame, between water and grass. The sky is blue and cloudy.

Water in south Florida once flowed freely from the Kissimmee River to Lake Okeechobee and southward over low-lying lands to the estuaries of Biscayne Bay...
(7,367 × 4,914 (27.55 MB)) - 01:17, 25 February 2025

islands, the vast Everglades landscape channels life-giving waters from Lake Okeechobee southward. Everglades National Park contains two distinct sloughs....
(4,480 × 6,720 (25.94 MB)) - 16:03, 22 November 2025

Frozen waffles are a quick breakfast that we grab often in my house. But as tasty as the plain options are, especially when you try this portable frozen waffle hack to transform a standard breakfast sandwich, the flavored waffles bring a little something extra. Sometimes we just want an extra burst of sweetness that isn't sticky syrup. This is where the addition of blueberries in the batter really shines. You can make your own, of course, but on a busy, hectic morning, frozen waffles with that extra burst of fruit are perfect.

I tried a selection from top brands like Van's and Eggo, as well as store-brand versions, to see which was crowned the king of the toaster. Taste was a top priority, of course, but the best waffles also had the right balance of crunchy exterior and fluffy, soft interior. I also looked at cost, since my three kids can tear through a standard box in just one day and I rely on frozen waffles to be a cheap, easy breakfast on the go. 

For this comparison, I popped the waffles in the toaster following the recommended settings and instructions on each box. You can ditch your toaster and pan fry them for a crispier texture, but I embraced the super convenient prep method, since that replicates how frozen waffles are made on busy mornings for us. While there was some pretty heavy competition, the ones that hit all of my top criteria ended up at the top of the stack.

The Kodiak waffles have extra protein in the mix, giving you that added boost in the morning. The brand's pancake mix is one of my favorites when I want to use store-bought pancake mix in new ways like muffins and cinnamon rolls, so I expected the Kodiak waffles to end up pretty high on my list. But at $7 for a box of 8 waffles, they really needed to impress.

There was one very specific but important reason that these waffles fell toward the bottom and that's simply the lack of blueberries. The first waffle that I popped in the toaster only had one lone blueberry in the entire thing. I thought it may just be a fluke, but the next three that I pulled out of the box weren't much better. 

Putting my yearning for blueberries aside, I gave the rest of the waffle a good taste test and it was pretty good. It was a little bit denser than some of the standard versions, but I was perfectly okay with that given that it filled me up better as well. It had a nice crunch right out of the toaster that worked well even when drenched with syrup. If I was looking for a regular frozen waffle, these would be a top choice. Kodiak has a thick and fluffy blueberry version that would be worth trying, but for the standard blueberry, these have to end up at the bottom.

You can find Eggo at just about any store in a variety of boxes and flavors. You can even pick them up in bulk or family sized packs. While they were pretty good, these waffles didn't cook as quickly in the toaster as some of the others that I tried; they also needed a higher setting than most of the foods I cook in the appliance. If this is all that you make, you can put it on the right setting and leave it there, but for me, it would require constantly adjusting. I rely on frozen waffles for a convenient breakfast that requires minimal thought, so even that small thing moved these further down on the list. 

Eggo is also one of the more expensive options out there at around $4.50 for a box of 10. Given that the taste isn't any better and they require extra adjusting, I just can't justify spending more on Eggo.

The thing I liked about the Eggo waffles were the generous amount of blueberries in each one. The squares were also a bit deeper than some others, which helps them keep the syrup in place. I probably wouldn't have noticed this if it weren't for the side-by-side comparison, however, so don't expect anything really drastic. I went with the standard blueberry waffle for this test to keep things fair, but I've tried the thick and fluffy version as well; they really are quite a bit thicker and ideal for holding extra syrup.

Going into this test, I knew that the Van's waffles would be a little bit different than some of the other options because they are another protein-rich option. But I wasn't expecting such a drastic change in texture compared to a standard frozen waffle. These were considerably denser, which I really liked when paired with butter and syrup. This was a more substantial breakfast than I'm used to from a frozen waffle. 

But considering the waffle just on its own, the heavier texture was a little too much for me for a light snack. Overall, I had to put it in the middle just because how much I enjoyed the waffle really depended on how I eat it. If I had these again, I'd try one of creative ways to use frozen waffles for breakfast, because these don't have the same light, sweet texture as some of the other blueberry waffles on this list.

They are also on the pricey side at just over $5 for a box of 6 waffles, which isn't even enough for a full breakfast in my house. As far as protein waffles go, Van's are not only cheaper per waffle than Kodiak, but they also taste better. However, if you're just looking for a good blueberry waffle in general, there are better (and cheaper) options.

Signature Select is Safeway's store brand. A box of 10 of its blueberry waffles costs around $2.50, which is considerably less than many others on this list.

While these Signature Select's waffles were very similar to the other store brands from Giant, Food Lion, and Walmart, I had to pick an order. The slightly higher price of the Safeway waffles and the fewer blueberries in the mix put these at the bottom of the store brand lineup. I still liked them better than the name brands, however, and would happily buy them again when I'm at Safeway.

The exterior was nice and crispy, with individual squares, perfect for containing syrup. The edges were especially well done in the toaster, but not burnt. The texture in the end was just right for me, although you can adjust your toaster to make them more or less crispy.

I've always been curious about the store brand waffles compared to the name brands, so this test was the perfect opportunity to do a side-by-side comparison. I specifically looked at each store brand next to Eggo, since that was the closest alternative. The Giant store brand is a good option for cost savings, especially if you use a store loyalty card. That brought the price down around 20 cents to just over $2 for a box of 10.

These were very similar to other store brand frozen waffles, however, there weren't as many blueberries in the Giant waffles as the others. I wouldn't go out of my way or make a special trip to pick these up. However, if you're already stopping at Giant and deciding between the more expensive name brand and the store brand, go with the Giant brand for the cost savings.