100 Days of Real Food | Whole-Grain Fruit Muffins

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Have you had a chance to check out the 100 Days of Real Food Blog yet?

It’s penned by Lisa Leake, a mom whose family (including her hubby and 3 and 5 year-old daughters) pledged to go 100 days without any highly processed or refined foods in 2010. That meant no white flour or sugar people, for an entire 100 days!

I really can’t get enough of this blog. I find myself always perusing posts looking for ideas on how to feed my family a more whole-foods based diet. Since my oldest daughter has life-threatening food allergies to dairy, egg and soy milk, we already avoid processed baked goods and fast food because of their ingredient lists. I love that the whole premise of focusing on “real food” raises awareness about what is actually in the food we eat.

I think there’s truth behind the saying, “we are what we eat.”

(However, I completely ignore this sentiment when it comes to Kettle Chips and tater tots. I think I would need to join a support group in order to go an entire 100 days without these two items. Sad, but true…)

While I’ve been following this blog for well over a year, I’ve just recently started testing out some of their recipes. The hardest meal for me to avoid processed foods is breakfast. Since dairy and egg are out of the picture, I get stumped on what to feed my two girls. I often resort to oatmeal (which isn’t so bad) or frozen waffles (even though they’re “organic” they wouldn’t pass Leake’s less-than-5-indredients rule) along with fruit.

We’ve been enjoying testing out some of their breakfast recipes. My husband and daughters can’t get enough of these whole-grain waffles (I make a large batch over the weekend and freeze for the upcoming week). And my older daughter thinks the whole-grain fruit muffins are dessert. Today I’m sharing my version of the whole-grain fruit muffins recipe. (Pictured above.)

Whole-Grain Blueberry Banana Muffins

(Adapted from this recipe at 100 Days of Real Food.)

Ingredients

  • 1½ cups organic whole-wheat flour
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
  • 2/3 cup of applesauce (this is what I use in place of the eggs)
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup coconut oil*
  • ¾ cup apple juice
  • About 1 cup of blueberries
  • 1/2 of a ripe banana mashed
  • Muffin liners

Directions

  • Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and line your cupcake/muffin pan with the liners.
  • In a bowl, mix together the flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg. Make a well (hole) in the middle of the flour mixture and put your applesauce, honey, vanilla, coconut oil* and apple juice in the center of it.
  • Next, mix in the mashed banana, followed by gently folding in the blueberries.
  • Fill the cups in your lined muffin pan 2/3 to 3/4 full.
  • Bake for 10-15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. (If you’re using applesauce in place of the eggs, like me, you might find that it takes a little longer to bake all the way through.)
  • Enjoy!!

*Couple things to note about cooking with coconut oil. First, I love that it has so many amazing health benefits. However, it can be tricky to bake with, as it is not a liquid at room temperature. I’ve found that I have to heat it up for like 20-30 seconds in the microwave in order for it to blend well with the other ingredients. Also, if you’re dealing with nut allergies remember that coconuts are considered a tree nut.

My daughters loved these muffins. My husband liked them, but had to admit that he would have to get used to the lack of sweetness. I think getting used to baked goods without sugar is like getting used to lower sodium foods — sometimes your taste buds just need time to adjust. But, all in all, they were a success. I might try some different fruit options next go around.

What “real” food choices do you make for your family? What would be the hardest food to give up if you were to take on a real-food pledge?

4 COMMENTS

  1. Love her blog! I use her crockpot whole chicken recipe and chicken stock recipe almost weekly. Thanks for sharing this recipe. I always forget how great muffins are for breakfast!

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