Recipe: Strawberry Lemon Muffins

As many of you know (and those who don’t can educate themselves here), I am training for two triathlons this summer.  In addition to hard-core physical training, I’ve also been preparing for the events by focusing on proper nutrition.  It’s been even easier since my fiance decided to join a fitness boot camp and lose some of his extra poundage.  We’re concentrating on protein-to-carb ratios, good fats, fresh fruits and veggies, and eating 5-6 small meals per day instead of 2-3 big binges.

Any former or current “dieter” knows that eating healthy can sometimes be…well, BORING.  How many ways can you grill a chicken breast?  How exciting can a salad truly be when it’s the sixth day in a row you’ve eaten one?  Why do all protein shakes seem to taste like a mixture of sidewalk chalk and candy that you accidentally leave in your car on a hot summer day?  It is with these burning questions in mind that I present to you…

Eating for Athletes: A Trouble With Toast Special Event!!!

Over the next week or two, I will focus on healthy recipes that are–gasp–actually tasty!  They’ll also be relatively easy to prepare, since athletes, I’m finding (now that I technically am one), are always pressed for time.

To lead off the series, heeeeeeeeere’s breakfast!  It’s the most important meal of the day, kiddies, and these muffins will make it one of the yummiest, too.  I adapted this from a Cooking Light magazine recipe for strawberry-orange muffins, and I couldn’t be happier with my changes.  The strawberries, besides having great flavor, give the muffins a nice pinky hue and a punch of fiber.  The lemon brightens things up and cuts the sweetness.  As with most basic baked goods, you could certainly sub out Egg Beaters for the eggs and Splenda for Baking for the sugar.  Either way, these are good, good for you, and good with coffee!

• 1 1/2  cups halved strawberries
• 3  tablespoons butter or stick margarine, melted
• 2  teaspoons grated lemon rind
• 2  large eggs
• 1 1/2  cups whole wheat flour
• 1 1/4  cups sugar
• 1  teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2  teaspoon salt
• Cooking spray
• 2  teaspoons sugar

Preheat oven to 400.

Combine first 4 ingredients in a blender, and process just until blended. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, 1 1/4 cups sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add strawberry mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Spoon batter into 12 muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons sugar. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched lightly in center. Remove from pan immediately.

Nutrition (per muffin): Calories 184 (20% from fat), Fat 4g (sat 2.1g,mono 1.2g,poly 0.3g), Protein 2.8g, Carbohydrate 34.8g, Fiber 0.8g, Cholesterol 45mg, Iron 1mg, Sodium 179mg, Calcium 33mg.

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Posted in Recipes
Tags: Breakfast, Cooking Light, Eating for athletes, Fruits and Veggies, Healthy, Recipes