Healthy Blueberry Muffins

Do you have a soft spot for a blueberry muffin? I have loved them as long as I can remember but I do not enjoy them very often. Blueberry muffin healthy but found this was not the case when the bakery! They bomb calories and sugar is so great that my body really does not appreciate. Of course, they taste good, but in one or two hours I left trembling and greedy - I try to avoid feelings.

Did you know that the muffins are sold today in coffee shops, stores, and vending machines is more than twice as large as those sold back in the 1950s, and more than three times the standard serving size?

Blueberry Muffins - Reality Nutrition

A little online research revealed that blueberry muffin sold at Starbucks pack 450 calories, 22 grams fat and 31 grams of sugar, while those at Dunkin Donuts is even worse! Which is more than twice the calories of a glazed donut and a chocolate croissant more than typical.

That is where the healthy blueberry muffins come. You can improve the nutrition of your blueberry muffins in many different ways. Here are some of my favorites.

How to Make Healthy Blueberry Muffins

Use whole wheat flour instead of white

Reducing the amount of sugar you use. I often cut sugar called for in a muffin with a 25 to 50%

Reducing the amount of fat you use. Usually 1/4 cup butter or oil per batch is all you need.

Add more blueberries

Look for recipes that include ground flax, other sources of omega-3

Bake in a standard muffin tins for a realistic portion sizes

Here is a healthy blueberry muffin recipe for you to try. Using wheat flour and a modest amount of sugar and butter so they still taste great but have about half the calories of a typical coffee shop muffin.

Healthy Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins

makes 12 muffins

4 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup sugar

2 large eggs

2 cups white wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

1 1/2 to 2 cups (about 1 pint) blueberries, either fresh or frozen

1 tablespoon sugar mixed with 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon for sprinkling on top (optional)

Preheat your oven to 375°F. Grease 12 muffin cups with nonstick vegetable spray.

In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until they are light and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the butter/sugar/egg mixture, and beat just until blended. Stir in the milk and vanilla, mixing just until smooth. Quickly stir in the berries.

Fill the muffin cups 3/4 to almost full, using all of the batter. An ice-cream scoop works well for this. Sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar mixture, if desired.

Bake the muffins for 25 to 30 minutes, until they are light golden brown. Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a rack to cool for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, run a knife around the edge of one muffin, and try to lift it out of the pan. If the muffin lifts out of the pan without crumbling, remove all of the muffins and allow them to cool completely on a wire rack. If the muffin sticks or the top peels off, allow them to cool an additional 10 minutes, then try again. (Even if they crumble, they will still taste great!)

About 202 calories per muffin. Which is about half the calories of the typical coffee shop muffin.