Did you know that a commercial muffin found in a fast food or grocery store can contain three times more sugar and twice as much fat as a chocolate donut? Up to 9 teaspoons of sugar can be hidden in a fast-food muffin, which is the same amount of sugar found in a can of regular pop. And while it may seem surprising, a muffin can contain the same amount of salt found in about 80 Lays Classic potato chips.
Don’t panic!
Homemade muffins are often much more nutritious and delicious! And let’s face it, they are so much fun to make! We proudly include them in our breakfast or eat them as a snack or dessert.
Psst: if we use pasteurized eggs, we even get to taste the raw muffin batter before we send it to the oven!
WHY NOT MAKE MUFFINS AS A FAMILY?
Making muffins can be a great family activity. Everyone is given a task that is adapted to their abilities. For example, toddlers can peel a banana that will be used as an ingredient for the muffins, helping to mix the mixture or greasing the muffin tins. Older kids can break the eggs, measure the ingredients, or pour the mixture into the muffin cups.
Here are 5 ideas to make our homemade muffins even better!
- Replace half or all the white flour with whole wheat flour or rolled oats. This will increase the amount of fiber in our muffin, and therefore increase our sense of fullness.
- Add nuts (e.g., walnuts, pecans) or seeds (e.g., chia seeds, ground flax seeds, pumpkin seeds) for more protein, fiber, and healthy fats.
- Replace half or all the oil or butter with unsweetened applesauce, plain Greek yogurt or pureed vegetables or fruit (pumpkins, bananas, prunes, sweet potatoes). This will significantly reduce the amount of fat in our muffin, making it just as moist.
- Cut the amount of sugar required in half or replace it with date puree. The latter option will give us a naturally sweet taste and increase the amount of fiber in our muffin.
- Replace the white or milk chocolate chips with semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips.
To enhance the taste of our muffins, adding a pinch of our favorite spice (cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, cocoa, vanilla, etc.) is a great idea!
And let’s not forget to take the time to enjoy them in good company and without guilt!
