Low Fat Oatmeal Muffins

I know you have heard it said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, blah, blah, blah.  Well, it's true.  Did you know that skipping breakfast can make weight control more difficult, and eating a healthy breakfast can actually help with weight loss and aid in maintaining a healthy weight?   Maybe we all understand that it is important, but let's face it, mornings can be CRAZY!  Getting everyone to school and work on time is hard enough without trying to cook a well-balanced breakfast.  Often it is easier to grab a cup of coffee or fall victim to the plethora of store bought convenience foods like sugary cereals, donuts, muffins, waffles, and my most despised item ~ toaster pastries (which my kids love ~ ugh!).  Have you ever actually read the ingredient labels on most package breakfast foods?  I mean, are half the ingredients even food?  My thought is if I can't pronounce it, I probably shouldn't eat it.

Even amidst all the morning craziness eating a healthy breakfast is possible, with a little planning and some delicious recipes, of course.

Muffins are great for busy mornings. They can be baked the night before and simply warmed in the microwave in the morning, or if time permits, the batter can be prepared the night before and then baked in the morning.

These Low Fat Oatmeal Muffins are delicious and healthy and a perfect with a cup of coffee or a glass of milk. You can customize the recipe by adding raisins, craisins, chocolate chips, nuts, or apples. I love that they only have 110 calories and less than 1 gram of fat each.  Now that is my kind of breakfast!

Buon Appetito!!

Low Fat Oatmeal Muffins

source: www.food.com

prep: 15 minutes

soak: 1 hour

bake: 20-25 minutes

yield: 12 muffins

calories: 110

fat grams: 0.7

1 cup rolled oat (old fashioned oatmeal)

1 cup skim milk

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed (I like to use 6 Tbsp honey instead)

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

2 egg whites

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

Soak oats in milk for 1 hour.

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.

Spoon into a muffin pan that has been lightly greased or sprayed with nonstick spray.

Bake at 400 F for 20-25 minutes.

Variations: To make Oatmeal Raisin Muffins, Oatmeal Apple Muffins, or Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffins, add raisins/chopped apples/chocolate chips to the batter.