I love breakfast. Eggs. Pancakes. Muffins. Rolls. Bacon. Fruit. The list goes on and on...breakfast is just soooo delicious! But, I also want to not crash an hour later. So many breakfast options end up spiking our blood sugar, giving us a quick lift, but then a drastic crash, and we're starving and grumpy an hour or two later, still hours away from lunch!
So what do we do? How do we enjoy a great breakfast without the "crash"? A solid breakfast that's going to help keep you going 'til lunch should have fiber, protein, and some deliciousness. :) The fiber will help keep sugars from being absorbed too quickly, which helps regulate your blood sugar levels. It also helps keep your cholesterol in check.
(Your body makes its own cholesterol, which is used to make all sorts of things, like steroids -estrogen, testosterone - as well as bile, which helps you digest the fat you eat. When you eat fiber, the fiber helps bind up bile, preventing it from being reabsorbed and forcing your body to make more bile and consequently, use more cholesterol!)
Protein takes longer to digest, which means it'll have more "staying" power. It also won't mess with your blood sugar levels like sugar will. Also, when I say sugar, I don't just mean the white granules. Processed flour (white flour), sugar, and other processed grains all increase your body's blood sugar levels. Whole grains (greatly because of fiber content) don't spike your blood sugar as much, helping prevent the "crash" many people experience after a carb-heavy meal.
Anyway, these muffins are a great way to start your day. They're full of whole grains (fiber!), good oils (omega-3s!), and antioxidant-rich (inflammatory-fighers!) berries. And, if you make the batter the night before, you can even bake them up fresh in the morning in about 20 minutes! Pair one of these babies with a glass of milk, small bowl of greek yogurt, or a nice egg and you've got yourself a stellar breakfast. :)
Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins
makes 6 muffins; can easily double
adapted from Joy the Baker
6 Tbs whole wheat flour
6 Tbs oats
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup milk (buttermilk, almond milk, etc.)
1/4 cup sucanat (or cane sugar, or brown sugar)
1 Tbs flax seed oil (or olive oil, coconut oil)
1 egg (if you double this recipe, you still only need ONE egg; you can also use an egg substitute - 1 Tbs chia seeds or ground flax + 3 Tbs water)
1/4 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen, I used frozen this time)
Preheat your oven to 375* F. Line your muffin tin with paper liners. If you're making the batter the night before to bake fresh in the morning, I recommend either not scooping the muffins out until the morning, or using foil muffin liners. If you use paper, the batter will probably stick and by pretty wet and gross by morning. :)
Whisk together your applesauce, milk, sugar, oil, and egg. Dump your dry ingredients in and stir until just moist. Gently fold in your blueberries. Portion out the batter into your 6 muffin cups, evenly. They will be quite full. If you're baking them in the morning, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Otherwise, (or in the morning!) bake for about 16-20 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (if you refrigerated them overnight, they may need a few extra minutes). Enjoy your delicious, nutritious breakfast (and snack...and bedtime treat...and...)
*You can also freeze this batter. Portion into muffin tin lined with muffin liners, cover with plastic wrap, and place in the freezer until the batter firms. You can then remove the muffins from the tin and place in a plastic bag for later use. When you want one, simply remove and bake. Same temp, few more minutes of baking time. Your very own "frozen meal".
(Your body makes its own cholesterol, which is used to make all sorts of things, like steroids -estrogen, testosterone - as well as bile, which helps you digest the fat you eat. When you eat fiber, the fiber helps bind up bile, preventing it from being reabsorbed and forcing your body to make more bile and consequently, use more cholesterol!)
Protein takes longer to digest, which means it'll have more "staying" power. It also won't mess with your blood sugar levels like sugar will. Also, when I say sugar, I don't just mean the white granules. Processed flour (white flour), sugar, and other processed grains all increase your body's blood sugar levels. Whole grains (greatly because of fiber content) don't spike your blood sugar as much, helping prevent the "crash" many people experience after a carb-heavy meal.
Anyway, these muffins are a great way to start your day. They're full of whole grains (fiber!), good oils (omega-3s!), and antioxidant-rich (inflammatory-fighers!) berries. And, if you make the batter the night before, you can even bake them up fresh in the morning in about 20 minutes! Pair one of these babies with a glass of milk, small bowl of greek yogurt, or a nice egg and you've got yourself a stellar breakfast. :)
Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins
makes 6 muffins; can easily double
adapted from Joy the Baker
6 Tbs whole wheat flour
6 Tbs oats
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup milk (buttermilk, almond milk, etc.)
1/4 cup sucanat (or cane sugar, or brown sugar)
1 Tbs flax seed oil (or olive oil, coconut oil)
1 egg (if you double this recipe, you still only need ONE egg; you can also use an egg substitute - 1 Tbs chia seeds or ground flax + 3 Tbs water)
1/4 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen, I used frozen this time)
Preheat your oven to 375* F. Line your muffin tin with paper liners. If you're making the batter the night before to bake fresh in the morning, I recommend either not scooping the muffins out until the morning, or using foil muffin liners. If you use paper, the batter will probably stick and by pretty wet and gross by morning. :)
Whisk together your applesauce, milk, sugar, oil, and egg. Dump your dry ingredients in and stir until just moist. Gently fold in your blueberries. Portion out the batter into your 6 muffin cups, evenly. They will be quite full. If you're baking them in the morning, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Otherwise, (or in the morning!) bake for about 16-20 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (if you refrigerated them overnight, they may need a few extra minutes). Enjoy your delicious, nutritious breakfast (and snack...and bedtime treat...and...)
*You can also freeze this batter. Portion into muffin tin lined with muffin liners, cover with plastic wrap, and place in the freezer until the batter firms. You can then remove the muffins from the tin and place in a plastic bag for later use. When you want one, simply remove and bake. Same temp, few more minutes of baking time. Your very own "frozen meal".