Is your child’s favorite cereal Honey Nut Cheerios? Do they love snacking on popcorn? Without even knowing it, your kids are enjoying the benefits of whole grains!
Whole grains are eaten in their whole form, which means they have the brown covering (bran) and all the vitamins and minerals in the center (germ). These extra parts help keep you full and focused for longer, so you can play and learn more.
In addition to staying fuller for longer, whole grains can help prevent weight gain and keep you healthy by giving you extra vitamins and minerals that you can’t find in fruits and vegetables. Whole grains are easy to substitute into your daily meals – have an oatmeal raisin cookie for dessert, popcorn as a snack and whole wheat pasta or quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) for dinner!
Try making this recipe to add more whole grains to your daily meals:
Whole Grain Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
(Makes 1 dozen muffins)
Ingredients:
2/3 cup sugar
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoons salt
1 egg
1/4 cup regular or light olive oil
1/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons applesauce
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup low-fat milk
3 ripe bananas, mashed
1/3 cup chocolate chips
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Mix together sugar, white whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.
- In a small bowl, whisk together egg, oil and applesauce.
- Add to dry ingredients, stirring until just blended.
- Add mashed bananas and chocolate chips and stir until just blended.
- Divide batter into muffin tins and bake for 18-20 minutes until a toothpick poked into the center of the muffin comes out clean.
Contributors
Sarah Roger and Tisa Hill, Cornell University
Source
http://jeanetteshealthyliving.com/whole-grain-banana-chocolate-chip-muffins/
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