Bone-Healthy Muffin Recipe

INGREDIENTS

· 2½ cups whole-wheat pastry flour or gluten-free baking flour from garbanzo beans
· ½ cup wheat bran
· ½ cup whey protein powder
· ¼ cup ground flaxseeds
· 1 teaspoon baking soda
· ¼ teaspoon baking powder
· 2 teaspoons cinnamon
· ½ teaspoon nutmeg
· 3 eggs
· 1 cup xylitol
· ¾ cup virgin coconut oil
· ¼ cup blackstrap molasses
· ¼ cup orange or apple juice concentrate
· 2 cups pureed zucchini (unpeeled)
· 1 cup grated sweet potato (peeled)
· 1 cup dark chocolate chips (grain-sweetened is fine unless you have celiac disease)
· 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

DIRECTIONS

· Preheat the oven to 325º F and line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.
· In a large bowl, combine the flour, bran, whey powder, flaxseeds, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg and stir until well mixed.
· Beat the eggs in a mixer for about 2 minutes, until light and foamy.
· Add the xylitol, coconut oil, molasses, and juice concentrate and mix on low speed just until combined. Stir in the zucchini and sweet potato.
· Gently fold the egg mixture into the dry ingredients until thoroughly blended, then add the chocolate chips and walnuts and stir once or twice.
· Scoop the dough into the prepared muffin tin, filling each cup about three-quarters full. Bake for about 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, then cool on a wire rack.
· For moister muffins, use 1½ cups zucchini pureed to applesauce consistency in a food processor (about 2 small zucchinis). Instead of chocolate chips, you can use 1 cup of dried figs or prunes. Dice them or chop them in a food processor until you have small, raisin-size chunks. (I prefer the muffins with figs.)

Yield: 2 dozen muffins

recipe from THE WHOLE-BODY APPROACH TO OSTEOPOROSIS: How to Improve Bone Strength and Reduce Your Fracture Risk (New Harbinger Publications)