Healthy Banana Breakfast Muffins

"Breakfast is the most important meal of the day" a patient told me recently. And it's true, it's one of the most important meals of the day, including lunch and dinner. I've always been a good breakfast eater. Sitting down, sipping coffee and enjoying a nice light breakfast just puts me in a good mood. The problem is, especially on days I work, I rarely have time for this relaxing ritual. Let's face it, I can barely get the kids dressed and fed let alone myself.

So I decided to experiment with some healthy breakfast muffin recipes that would make hurried mornings a bit easier. I came across this one, which I love because you can literally grab one out of the freezer, defrost for a minute in the microwave and be on your way. Plus, they're a healthy alternative to regular muffins which are high in fat and sugar. Now on busy mornings, I grab a muffin and a greek yogurt cup for some extra protein, and I'm out the door. 

Here are some of the ingredients...

Banana Breakfast Muffins (adapted from Bran Buds Muffins)

Ingredients: 

• 1 1/2 cups all bran cereal (or your favorite high fiber cereal)
• 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cups fat free milk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 egg whites
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 ripe bananas, mashed
• Cinnamon Sugar (optional): 1 Tablespoon sugar + 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a food processor, crush cereal until it resembles fine crumbs. In a mixing bowl, combine cereal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, mix milk, vanilla, egg whites, vegetable oil and mashed bananas. Add dry mixture to wet mixture and mix only until combined, being careful not to over-mix. Portion batter into muffin tin (it will make about 12 muffins). Lightly sprinkle cinnamon sugar mixture on top. Bake for 20 minutes or until lightly browned.