Recipe: Blueberry and Oat Gut-Loving Muffins

These blueberry and oat gut-loving muffins make a yummy and nourishing addition to your child's lunch box or are great served as part of a toddler snack. They are high in fibre, and protein and packed with gut loving goodness to keep kids nourished and full between meals.

Facts

Oats are a source of essential nutrients, making them an excellent addition to a your child's diet. They are a good sources of carbohydrates, fibre and protein which are essential for healthy growth and development. Additionally, oats contain vitamins and minerals such as iron, magnesium, phosphorus, and zinc.

The fibre in oats contain beta-glucan a type of soluble fibre that can aid in digestion, act as a prebiotic to support the growth of good bacteria in the digestive tract and help prevent constipation.

Blueberries, and yes even frozen blueberries, are packed with goodness, including antioxidants, vitamin C, fibre and other vitamins and minerals.

Note: this recipe does contain a small amount of maple syrup. Maple syrup is still considered as an added sugar and the recommendation for children under 2 years of age is to limit/minimise intake of added sugar.

Ingredients

Makes 10-12 muffins

1 cup of wholemeal spelt flour (alternative is plain flour)

1 cup of rolled oats

1/2 tsp of bicarb soda (baking soda)

1 tsp of baking powder

1 cup of full cream milk

1 egg

50 g of unsalted butter melted.

1/4 cup of maple syrup

1 tsp of vanilla extract

Around 1/2 cup of fresh or frozen blueberries (you can add more if you wish)

Method

Add the oats and milk to a bowl, stir and set aside, allowing to oats to soak around 10 minutes.

Prepare the dry ingredients by adding the wholemeal spelt flour, bicarb soda and baking powder to a bowl and stir.

Then prepare the wet ingredients, gently whisking an egg and stirring through the maple syrup and vanilla extract.

Add the wet ingredients and the soaked oats (along with the milk) into the dry ingredients and gently fold togther.

Pour in the blueberries and gently fold through.

Add spoonfuls of the mixture into muffin moulds and bake at 165 C fan forced or 180C for around 17 - 20 minutes or until lighly browned ontop and cooked through (check your muffins at 15 minutes as cooking times can vary depending on your oven)

Let cool and then store in an airtight container for up to 2-3 days.

You can freeze the muffins once completley cooled by adding to a freezer bag or airtight container, for up to 3 months.

X Anna