From Our Kitchen to Yours: Healthy Harvest Breakfast Muffins

An American Journal of Clinical Nutrition study found that people who skipped breakfast throughout childhood and as adults had higher cholesterol than lifelong breakfast eaters. Food & Friends recognizes that nutrition not only plays a large part in good health and disease prevention, but also in treatment of illness and in the management of side effects. We work hard to create a menu filled with healthy items that will meet the nutritional needs of those we serve. Start your day off right and treat your heart to our delicious Healthy Harvest Breakfast Muffins recipe, which is one of the breakfast items we deliver to our clients.

Ingredients for 16 Muffins:

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup oat bran
2 t. baking soda
2 t. cinnamon
¼ t. salt
1 ¼ cups sugar
2 cups peeled and shredded carrot
½ cup chopped pecans
½ cup raisins
¼ cup sweetened flaked coconut
2 t. vanilla extract
3 large eggs
½ cup buttermilk
½ cup pure vegetable oil, such as canola

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and lightly oil 16 half-cup muffin cups. 
• Into a large bowl sift together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt and whisk in sugar. Add shredded carrots, pecans, raisins, and coconut to flour mixture and toss well. 
• In a bowl whisk together eggs, vanilla, buttermilk, and oil. Add egg mixture to flour mixture, stirring until batter is well combined. 
• Divide batter among muffin cups, filling them ¾ full, and bake on middle rack of oven 15 – 18 minutes, or until toothpick tester comes out clean. Cool muffins in cups on racks for 5 minutes before turning out onto racks to cool completely. Enjoy with your favorite jam or fruit preserves!