We all know by now that skipping breakfast is a bad idea. I mean, everyone’s heard that skipping breakfast lowers your mental and creative potential and sets the stage for cravings and sluggishness later in the day.
And yet, knowing that, many of us still rush out the door without a single nutrient passing our lips. Of course I realize that mornings can be crazy, which is why I present this lovely option: Weekend baking of healthy breakfast snacks that can be eaten throughout the week.
Morning Glory Muffins are the perfect solution, provided you actually make time to bake on the weekend and I kindly suggest that if you have time to watch TV or surf the net, you definitely have a little time to bake.
This recipe is gluten-free and has a spicy sweetness due to the cinnamon and ground ginger. They are also dense enough to fill the hunger gap for an hour or two. I’m not suggesting you replace a balanced breakfast with a muffin, but I am encouraging you to eat this rather than go on empty or worse, grab a store-bought, trans-fat laden muffin to go along with your coffee.
My favourite ingredient in this recipe is the goji berry. Prior to making these muffins, I had not baked with them, and usually just sprinkled dried ones over my granola or mixed them into homemade pancake batter (unless I had just scored some fresh berries at the farmers’ market or grocery store).
Goji berries are one of the most nutritionally-dense foods you can eat. Herbalists have prescribed them for liver protection, to help with eye sight, to improve fertility and sexual function, to boost immune function, improve circulation and to promote longevity. There you have it, another superfood to add to the growing list of incredible power foods for joyous health!
Your can thank my friend Candice for this recipe, I know I did when she dropped these muffins off at my condo on one of those crazy mornings. And now I pass it along to you…
Morning Glory Muffins
Ingredients
1 cup brown rice flour
1 cup almond flour
1 cup sucanat sugar
2 tsp baking soda (aluminum-free and gluten-free)
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup goji berries (Soak in lukewarm water for about an hour. Alternatively, you can use raisins or cranberries)
2 cups shredded carrots
1 apple (peeled, cored, and chopped)
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup chopped almonds (or some other nut)
1/3 cup sunflower seeds
3 eggs (from happy chickens ie. organic)
2/3 cup organic coconut oil
1/4 cup juice (orange or organic blueberry-pomegranate juice is what Candice used, yum!)
2 tsp vanilla extract
Method
Combine in a large bowl: flours, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda, salt and mix well.
In a separate bowl combine: berries, carrots, apple, coconut, almonds and seeds, mix.
Whisk the eggs together in a separate bowl with the oil, juice and vanilla extract.
Add the egg mixture to the fruit and nut mixture, combine well.
Fold into the flour mixture and mix until no dry flour is visible.
Preheat your oven to 350F and grease muffin tins or use paper muffin cups. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Makes approximately 12 medium size muffins.
EnJOY!
Joy McCarthy, Registered Holistic Nutritionist and Health Coach of Joyous Health, loves to inspire others to eat well, live well and be happy.
Joy has clients from all over the world and consults via phone and Skype. Contact Joy today and take the first step.
