We all know that there are many reasons to eat more fruits and vegetables. Baking a batch of muffins is a great way to add extra produce to your diet, especially if you have overripe fruit or vegetables that you want to use before they spoil. Apples, pears, carrots, zucchini, bananas, berries and citrus fruits make great additions to baked goods. To bake a healthy treat, search for or modify a favorite recipe with your favorite fruits or veggies and these tips:
- Substitute half the all-purpose flour with whole-wheat flour for extra fiber. Note that substituting more than half may yield muffins that are too dense.
- Substitute half the oil with applesauce or half the butter with plain, nonfat yogurt to reduce the fat content. This tip works well for muffins because they are baked in a tin, but it does not work well if you are baking without a mold; for example, if you are making cookies on a cookie sheet.
- Cut back on the sugar. The sugar content of most recipes can be cut by up to half without changing the flavor of the end product.
- Add small amounts of spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice or cloves to sweeten your product without adding calories.
My favorite muffin recipes involve whole grains such as whole wheat flour or oats; applesauce; spices; and various fruits and vegetables. These recipes result in healthy treats that can be eaten right away OR frozen for quick, pre-portioned breakfasts or snacks. Here are a few that I have tried and enjoyed, or that I would like to try:
- Banana Berry muffins
- Baked Oatmeal muffins
- Morning Muffins (with carrots and raisins)
- Pineapple-Carrot muffins
- Sweet Potato-Orange muffins
- Whole-Wheat Blueberry muffins
- Banana-Avocado-Apple mini-muffins
Do you have a favorite muffin recipe to share? If so, let us know by commenting below!
Author: Jenny Lobb, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Franklin County, lobb.3@osu.edu
Reviewer: Amanda Bohlen, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Washington County, bohlen.19@osu.edu
Sources:
Brinkman, P. (2015). Modifying a Recipe to be Healthier. OhioLine. https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/HYG-5543
Fruits and Veggies More Matters. Top 10 Reasons to Eat MORE Fruits and Vegetables. https://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org/top-10-reasons-to-eat-more-fruits-and-vegetables
Live Healthy Live Well 
Great makeover tips.
Thank you for commenting Cathryn.
[…] Made-over muffins. If you enjoy eating muffins at breakfast, prepare varieties at home that include whole wheat flour and shredded veggies to ramp up the fiber content. Shredded zucchini and carrots make tasty muffins! Pineapple carrot muffins are one of my favorites. […]