Banana Muffins to Boost Lactation

These nutrient packed muffins are great for lactating mothers, or anyone who could use a boost of vitamins, minerals and healthy fats.

These aren't your grocery store muffins that are a super sweet cake like creation. These muffins are a nutrition packed breakfast or snack that you don't have to feel bad about.

Ingredients:
3 large Ripe Bananas, mashed
1/2 C Maple
3 oz Applesauce
2 Eggs
1/2 C Oil
1 C White Wheat Flour
2/3 C Oats
3 tbs Flax Seeds
3 tbs Brewers Yeast, debittered
1/2 C Pecans
1 tsp Baking Powder

Preheat oven to 350. Spray two muffin tins with non-stick spray, set aside. Put oats, flax and pecans in a blender, pulse until ground into flour (flax seeds will still be large but broken up). In a large bowl combine all ingredients and mix until combined. Scoop mixture into muffin tins, it should make about 2 dozen muffins. Bake 20-23 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cinnamon Raisin Oat Muffins

Don't you just hate when you can't find a recipe that you want to make? I couldn't find the recipe I was looking for, then the brand new bag of wheat bran I had in the pantry smelled off, so I decided to scrap my original plan and go rogue and I'm glad I did.
These muffin were born from what I had in the pantry and a desire to make them as healthy as possible. No refined sugars or oils here! They came out moist and flavorful, but I found their flavor improved overnight and the orange zest really shined.
Each muffin has 12 grams of fiber and only 10 grams of sugar so they are a healthy and delicious way to start the morning!

Cinnamon Raisin Oat Muffins
Makes 24 

3 oz Unsweetened Apple Sauce (I used one of the toddlers pouches)

3 Eggs

4 Tbs Blackstrap Molasses

1 C Non-fat Greek Yogurt

Zest of an Orange

1 C Orange Juice

2 tsp Cinnamon

2 tsp Baking Soda

1 1/2 C Oats that have taken a quick trip through the food processor to break them up a bit. 

2 C Whole Wheat Flour

1 1/2 C Raisins

Preheat oven to 350. Grease or line 24 muffin cups, set aside. In a large bowl mix together apple sauce, eggs, molasses and orange zest. Then add yogurt and orange juice. In a separate bowl mix together cinnamon, baking soda, flour and oats.  Mix wet and dry ingredients until they just start to come together. Then mix in raisins. Scoop batter into muffin tins about 2/3 full. Bake 18-20 minutes. 

Zucchini Carrot Muffins

I've been trying to come up with some healthy portable snacks for the toddler lately. He loves fruit and string cheese but I don't want to give him the same thing all the time. I've noticed that the "healthy" packaged snacks fill him up but don't provide much in the way of nutrition or calories. Since he is a little underweight for his age (His Doctor said he doesn't have a "Doritos Belly" like most kids his age, I see that as a good thing) I wanted to make a portable snack that had some veggies and fats but wasn't full of sugar. Maybe I can at least give the toddler a healthy American muffin top! ;)

Zucchini Carrot Muffins

Makes 18 Muffins

3 small Zucchinis 

1 large Carrot

1/2 C Plain Whole a Milk Yogurt

1/2 C Maple Syrup

2 Eggs

1/3 C Sunflower Oil (Almond or Walnut would work well too if there are no allergies)

1 2/3 C Whole Wheat Flour

2 tsp Baking Soda

1/2 heaping tsp Cinnamon 

Preheat oven to 350. Shred Zucchini and Carrot on a grater. In a large bowl beat together Yogurt, Maple Syrup, Eggs and Oil. Mix Zucchini and Carrot into wet mixture. In a small bowl mix together Whole Wheat Flour, Baking Soda and Cinnamon. Mix dry ingredients into wet until just combined. 

Spray two muffin trays with Spectrum Grapeseed Oil Spray. 

Fill 18 cups nearly to the top with muffin batter. 

Bake for 18-20 minutes.