Don’t you hate it when you eat breakfast and two hours later you’re stomach is rumbling?   I’ve found the best way to stay satisfied through the morning is to include both fiber-rich whole grains and lean protein to my breakfast.  When egg whites and wheat toast start to bore me, I gravitate towards oatmeal.  While I sometimes add peanut butter/nuts to my oatmeal, until recently I couldn’t think of another palatable way to give my oatmeal the protein-kick my appetite was craving.

The recipe I am going to share with you is a hidden gem I wish i had found years ago.  With only a few fridge/cupboard staples and a few minutes, you can have a homemade breakfast that is high in fiber and protein, and low in sugar and calories.  And the best part is, it tastes like a warm, moist blueberry muffin.  The picture below is my “mug muffin” breakfast from this morning…YUM!

Apple Blueberry Mug Muffin:

Ingredients:

• 1/4 C dry oatmeal
• 1 egg*
• 1/4 small apple, chopped
• 12 blueberries
• splash skim or almond milk
• 1 tsp/packet Truvia or Stevia
• dash cinnamon

Directions:

1. Combine all of the above ingredients in a microwave safe mug and stir.
2. Microwave mug on high for two minutes
3. Let mug cool 2-3 minutes then flip onto a plate to let the “muffin” fall out
4. Split “muffin” in half, top with additional fresh fruit, cinnamon & Truvia as desired.

*For even lower calorie, substitute 1/4 C egg beaters for 1 egg

Makes one serving.

Nutrition Facts:

• Calories: 175
• Fat: 7g
• Carbohydrates: 21g
• Fiber: 3g
• Protein: 9g
• Sugar: 6g

Compare to Dunkin Donuts Reduced Fat Blueberry Muffin:

• Calories: 410
• Fat: 10g
• Carbohydrates: 75g
• Fiber: 2g
• Protein: 7g
• Sugar: 40g

Compare to Starbucks Blueberry Muffin:

• Calories: 380
• Fat: 19g
• Carbohydrates: 49g
• Fiber: 1g
• Protein: 5g
• Sugar: 28g

As you can see from the above comparisons, consumers beware of store-bought/coffee-shop muffins! If you want to enjoy a homemade muffin in only three minutes, give this recipe a try.  Let me know how yours turn out!

Bon appétit

Sources:

“Calories in Blueberry Muffin.” Calorie Count. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 June 2012. <http://caloriecount.about.com/calories-starbucks-coffee-blueberry-muffin-i57010>.

“Calories in Reduced Fat Blueberry Muffin.” Calorie Count. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 June 2012. <http://caloriecount.about.com/calories-dunkin-donuts-reduced-fat-blueberry-i119105>.

Recipe modified & adapted from:

“Menu Ideas for Busy Moms.” : Microwave Blueberry Oat “Muffins” N.p., n.d. Web. 22 June 2012. <http://myweeklymenus.blogspot.com/2012/02/microwave-blueberry-oat-muffins.html>.