Advertisement

Banana Oat Mini-Muffins add sweetness the natural way

 
Banana Oat Mini-Muffins, which skip the white processed sugar, can be made gluten-friendly.
Banana Oat Mini-Muffins, which skip the white processed sugar, can be made gluten-friendly.
Published March 30, 2017

Like many families, we try to minimize the amount of processed sugar we eat. But, it is lurking everywhere, and we are eating far more processed sugar than our grandparents did. How to combat this trend that seems to have sneaked up on us?

A few ideas: First, let's read the ingredient list and nutritional information on labels of every single food item we put in our carts. That sounds like a lot of work, but as we get familiar with our favorite foods, the task will become less daunting.

Second, buy more foods without labels. When we buy whole foods and then cook them ourselves, we know exactly what is going into them.

Third, favor sugar from natural, unprocessed, whole sources. While fruit-sweetened foods still have sugar, it's not a highly processed derivative, and it brings with its sweetness a full set of other nutrients. Bananas, apples and dates bring vitamins, minerals and fiber along with their sugars. Try recipes using them as sweeteners.

Last, keep production of less healthy items in-house, so you can control what goes in them. Craving brownies? Make them at home, so at least you see exactly what is going into the recipe.

My Banana Oat Mini-Muffins don't use any white processed sugar, and yet they are just sweet enough to scratch the sweet-tooth itch. I usually bake a batch or two and freeze them for a quick breakfast or snack, or to add a treat to the lunch box or to a family Sunday brunch. As a bonus for our family, I can easily make these little guys gluten-friendly for my intolerant daughter by using gluten-free oats.

Food Network star Melissa d'Arabian is an expert on healthy eating on a budget. She is the author of the cookbook "Supermarket Healthy."