How to Make a Healthy Blueberry Muffin

Bake Your Family Nutritious Blueberry Muffins

Blueberry muffins can be healthy. The key is in using ingredients that have some nutritional value. Ingredients which have been refined and processed have only empty calories to offer. Blueberry muffins made with whole-wheat flour and honey have more nutritional value than packaged or commercial variations, which can be very high in sugar and unhealthy fats. Knowing the nutritional value of the foods you eat can help you to be more careful about what you eat.

Things You'll Need

• Honey or an artificial sweetener
• Whole grain flour
• Olive or canola oil
• Fresh blueberries

Instructions

1. Substitute 1/4 cup of honey for refined white sugar, which loses nutrients in the refining process. While there are 65 calories in 1 tbsp. of honey and 45 calories in a tablespoon of granulated white sugar, honey contains several nutrients. There are no nutrients in refined sugar. Honey also contains minerals such as potassium, calcium, magnesium and iron, in addition to the B vitamins.

2. Use unprocessed ingredients such as whole grain flour in place of all purpose white flour; white flour has had essential vitamins and nutrients removed during the milling process. According to nutrition experts at the Mayo Clinic, whole grains provide a better source of fiber than refined grains. Blueberry muffins made with whole grain flour contain twice the number of grams of protein and nearly three times the number of grams of fiber as muffins made with refined white flour. Eating foods made from whole grains also helps to lower blood cholesterol.

3. Benefit from good sources of carbohydrates such as whole wheat or other whole grain flours. Blueberry muffins made with refined white flour contain little in the way of dietary fiber or nutrition. Refined carbs fall high on the glycemic index and are calorie dense foods, which you should keep to a minimum. High glycemic foods can make blood glucose levels rise rapidly causing a sudden drop in blood sugar.

4. Choose olive or canola oil for ingredients as these provide a healthier fat option than vegetable oil. While both olive and canola oil have low levels of saturated fat, olive oil has less fat in general. Vegetable oil contains about the same number of fat grams as olive oil, but olive oil has more monounsaturated fat and less saturated fat. Olive oil has no cholesterol and retains nutrients in the pressing process whereas nutrients are removed from vegetable oil during the refining process.

5. Mix fresh blueberries into the muffin mix. Berries are a super food packed full of nutrients. Super foods help to boost the immune system and fight disease. In addition, blueberries are low in sodium and high in manganese and vitamin C, which is a powerful antioxidant and essential to a healthy immune system.

6. Reduce the number of calories in a muffin by using an artificial sweetener. A blueberry muffin made with all-purpose flour and white sugar contains about 400 calories. A sugar substitute such as Splenda can lower the number of calories in a muffin by half. Keep in mind that although artificial sweeteners may be calorie free, they contain no nutrients.

References

• Improving Health and Energy: Are Blueberry Muffins Healthy?
• Mayo Clinic: Nutrition and Healthy Eating