Mangia Muffins!

Muffins are a wonderful way to pack some nutrition into a small, portable package. They can be sweet or savory...or something in the middle. Rachel Ray made the stuffin-muffin popular when she made savory bread stuffing and baked individual portions in muffin tins. You can do the same!

My recommendation? Pack in the punch by doctoring up your recipe! I love to make banana muffins; they're my most frequent muffin. I add value by replacing 1/4-1/2 cup of flour with ground flax meal and up to 1/2 of the oil with apple sauce. I also use Whole Wheat flour instead of the white stuff. I also like to add dried fruit and/or nuts, like raisins ad walnuts. These are a bit typical, but you can get a lot more creative! Here are some ideas to try as add-ins:

• Millet - crunchy little round grain that adds lots of B vitamins
• Almonds - high in fiber and Vitamin E
• Dark chocolate chips - high in antioxidants and yummy!
  
• Dried or fresh cranberries - cancer fighters
• Prune puree - as good as the applesauce as an oil replacer
  
• Pureed pumpkin - plenty of vitamin A
• Shredded carrots - fiber, vitamin A and texture

Recently I made Millet Muffins with dried cranberries and they were delicious! I pumped up the nutrition with the added flax meal and both mashed banana and applesauce. I also made cupcakes (like muffins, only for dessert instead of breakfast) with a whole can of pumpkin puree...mmm...good. These delicious little tips will have your family and friends asking for "more muffins, please!"