Animal, Vegetable, Miserable...

I have recently started eating meat again. Having moved in with the boyfriend, my meat-eating habits have become more commonplace than they once were. The problem is that I'm noticing more problems: upset stomachs, strange cravings, and generally unhealthy eating habits. Seemingly, by letting meat back into my diet in a major way, I've let other problems come in that have made me feel less than awesome.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not going vegan, but I definitely want to start eating more vegetables, fish, eggs, chicken, and keep other meats to special occasions. However, I can never curb my diet without attempting to get away from my ridiculous sweet tooth. Well, that's kind of a misnomer; it's also a fat tooth. This is where bran muffins come in. Healthy and chock full of fiber and protein, these guys make for a very filling breakfast and a great start to my day.

A Healthier Bran Muffin

Typically, store bought bran muffins have very little bran, loads of fat, and far too much sugar. I'd like to trim down on all of this and make a healthier version. This recipe produces a delicious muffin base that can be modified in at least a couple of ways.

1 cup Bran cereal (I use Fiber One bran cereal because it doesn't contain sugar or high-fructose corn syrup)
1 1/2 cups low-fat or non-fat milk

1/2 cup unsulphered dark molasses
1/4 cup splenda dark brown sugar
2 tbsp unsweetened applesauce + 2 tbsp nonfat greek yogurt
1 large egg

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

For the basic muffin mix, combine the bran cereal and milk and let it stand for 5 minutes. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 400 degrees, and prepare a muffin tin with liners.

Add the molasses, brown sugar splenda, applesauce, yogurt, and the egg to the bran cereal/milk mixture. Mix until combined. While the bran will soften, don't expect it to totally dissolve until the muffins are baked.

In another bowl, whisk to combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the liquid mixture, and mix just until it all comes together (avoid over mixing). Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups. Bake at 400 degrees for about 18-20 minutes or until it passes the toothpick test. Because of the bran and the molasses, the muffins will get fairly dark. Cool, remove from the pan, and enjoy regularity like never before!



Alternatives:

Apple Cinnamon Muffins: Add 1 tsp cinnamon to the dry ingredients, and mix in 1 large finely chopped, Granny Smith apple with the liquid ingredients.

Mocha Muffins: add 1 tbsp instant coffee to the milk and bran. Add 1 tsp cinnamon to the dry ingredients. Finally, fold in 3 oz of chopped dark chocolate. This alternative naturally comes with a little extra fat and calories.

I've tried both of these alternatives and they worked out wonderfully. Both lent themselves to the dense texture that the bran and wheat flour provide. I imagine adding blueberries would make a delicious muffin as well. Pictured are the mocha muffins. I used parchment paper to fashion some muffin cups and plan to do so again; they provide plenty of support for the batter and they're the perfect size for unwrapping and holding the muffin.

Nutrition Data
(Compiled the old fashioned way with impeccable math skills, a pen, and some paper...)

Per regular bran muffin:
Calories: 170 calories
Fat: 1.5 grams
Fiber: 5 grams (or 20% of the daily recommended amount)
Protein: 3 grams (okay well maybe not as chock full of protein as I'd like...)