Loaded Banana Muffins
I love kicking off my morning with a healthy breakfast; it really sets the tone for the day. When I opt for a nutritional smoothie in the AM, for example, I’m likely to gravitate toward healthful foods in the PM. The same goes for exercising. After an ass-kicking session at the gym, I have zero desire to top it off with Lemonheads. On the other hand, say I roll out of bed following a night out and heat up a piece of pizza for breakfast. You best believe I’m not goin’ for an apple next. Nope — my blood sugar spikes, and my mind immediately shifts to getting my paws on some candy STAT. I’ve managed to avoid such catastrophes for quite a while now, and I definitely owe it to all-star breakfasts. After returning from pilates last night, I felt compelled to put off my work, which has consumed my summer, and get back to my blog. I checked out the goods in the kitchen and decided to throw together some muffins for a week’s worth of healthful breakfasts. My newly-purchased green bananas had ripened and were no longer of interest to me (don’t hate). So, I decided to mash ‘em up and try out some banana muffins! These babies are loaded with whole wheat, flax, quinoa, fruit, and chia seeds. This means you’ll be jump-starting your day with a good amount of fiber, protein, calcium, iron, and vitamins galore! Here’s to a week of healthy eating!
Oh, and if you haven’t yet discovered the amazing nutritional benefits of chia seeds, check out my post here!
Ingredients:
- 1c. flour (I used half whole wheat and half all-purpose)
- 1/2 c. quinoa flakes*
- 1/2 c. wheat germ
- 2 T. chia seeds
- 2 T. ground flax meal
- 3 medium ripe bananas, mashed
- 1 T. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1/4 c. unsweetened applesauce
- 1/2 c. turbinado sugar
- 3/4 c. skim milk
- 1/3 c. dried cranberries
- 1/4 c. shredded coconut, unsweetened or sweetened
*Quinoa flakes are made from quinoa, a truly awesome grain found in the Andes Mountains. Did you know that quinoa (pronounced keen-wa) is the only grain that is a complete protein? You can purchase quinoa, quinoa flakes, and quinoa flour from your local grocery store. For more information on its impressive nutritional profile, click here! If you have something against quinoa, then you’re crazy feel free to substitute with something else, like whole wheat flour, wheat bran, tapioca flour, etc.
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°.
Prepare a 12-cup muffin ban with non-stick cooking spray.
Combine dry ingredients in large bowl.
Whisk together milk, applesauce, and vanilla in medium-sized bowl.
Mash 3 very ripe bananas.
Add milk mixture and bananas and combine well.
Sprinkle in coconut and cranberries and mix once again.
Distribute batter evenly in muffin pan.
Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of a muffin comes out clean, about 15-20 minutes. Enjoy!
