Whole Wheat Banana Nut Muffins

The one thing I have been baking lately? MUFFINS. I'm on a total muffin craze for weekend breakfasts.

Would you like me to assign someone to butter your muffin?

Whole Wheat Banana Nut Muffins
from Eating Clean Recipes
makes 12 muffins

• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp table salt
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 3 Tb. canola oil
• 1 cup mashed, ripe bananas*
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1/4 cup rolled oats

*I used 3 ripe bananas but the banana flavor could've been stronger so I think next time I'd do 4. The banana flavor intensified after cooling...muffins are always best after giving them a 30 minute rest, at least. But the husband is impatient when it comes to baked goods.  

Preheat oven to 400F and line muffin tins with paper cups. Lightly spray the cups with nonstick spray. I was out and skipped this step and the result was having to eat muffin remnants off the cups...

Place flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon in a large bowl and combine. In a separate bowl, mash bananas and then combine with egg, sugar, yogurt, oil, and vanilla.

Add to flour mixture and stir until just combined. Fold in nuts and oats. Divide evenly into muffin cups (they will be pretty full).

Bake for 20 minutes, or until tops are browned and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then remove and move to a cooling rack to finish cooling.

Nutritional information (per muffin): 195 calories, 7.4g fat (0.7g sat), 32g carbs (4g fiber), 4g protein

CARBALICIOUS. Just how I like 'em. These muffins were super tasty and soo filling! I thought they could've been a bit more moist but adding another banana would help that.

Speaking of carbs, I know that long-time readers know of my hatred for low-carb diets. But after doing some research, I've learned that I naturally follow a "lower-carb" diet than most Americans (the average is about 300g per day!). And therefore, my healthy balance diet would be low carb to them. And yet, I've never shunned whole grain breads or high carb fruits. Not even for a week. Interesting, no?

Do I have to say it again? Read it!

Last weekend, I read Lou's chapter on nutrition by the pool and wanted to share it with everyone at the pool. Except most of them were drunk strangers and 6 year olds...so I didn't. But I'll share it with YOU! Lou emphasized that carbs are necessary (duh) and that with the right balance of food and exercise, the body can adapt and use those carbs instead of converting them straight to fat like all those low-carb sponsored studies tell you they do. He emphasized the importance of choosing the right carbs. Fruits and whole grains are excellent choices. But my favorite part? His suggestion of when to eat carbs and how this placement can affect how they're used. Carbs eaten right after exercise provide more energy than carbs eaten before, carbs eaten along with protein are absorbed before the protein which is more efficient and so on. I loved reading a book that cautions against too many carbs but also gives ways in which they can be used the most efficiently and repercussions of not having enough carbs in your diet.

Have I sold you on reading this book yet? No? Ok...well, my very, very favorite part was the repeated mantra of "what works for her may not work for you. Try it this way and if it doesn't work, tweak it until it does." Then add in all the workout plans with real weights....LOVE IT.  

What are your opinions on "low carb" diets? Have you ever tried one before?