Tuesday, 16 February 2016

Oats for breakfast only? Think again!

I'm sure you all know the nutritional benefits of oats. Oats are sources of soluble fibres that improve cholesterol level and help with bowel movement. A bowl of oatmeal in the morning with some added spices, such as cinnamon, nuts and seeds or fresh/dried fruits can make a wholesome filling breakfast meal.

But is that all for oats? How do you make it more than just a breakfast cereal? I recently got an oatmeal muffin recipe in the mail and decided to try it out.
(Recipe source: PepsiCo Canada)

List of Ingredients
Quick oats - 1 cup
All-purpose flower - 1 cup
Baking powder - 2 teaspoons
Egg, beaten - 1
Canola oil - 3 tablespoons
Skim milk - 1 cup
Brown sugar - 1/4 cup
Raisins - 1/4 cup
Grated orange zest - 3 tablespoons




Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400F. Grease muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners. (I used silicone muffin cups and I didn't have to grease them)
2. Combine all muffin ingredients, mix well. Divide batter among muffin cups.
3. Bake in oven for about 20-30 minutes or until golden brown.


Tips: Use a smaller pan to make snack size muffins.



As you can see from my photo, I didn't add raisins and orange zest to my batter but I added a handful of walnuts. I also experimented a little by substituting brown sugar with honey simply because I didn't have brown sugar at home. There is no significant difference in calories or added sugar content using brown sugar vs honey. You can learn more about baking with less sugar through EatRight Ontario's Recipe Makeover: Reducing Sugar in the Kitchen.

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