Eat Clean Muffins

That is not a good name for these muffins, but I didn't think "The Super-Pooper Morning Muffin" would be as appealing.

I'm in the middle of 28 days of extreme Clean Eating, a venture I'm not facing alone thanks to my sister. We both have the desire to find our most impressive selves, and are following Tosca Reno's Eat Clean Stripped Plan. We did rename this to the "Ripped" plan - as in ripped muscles - as our husbands both raised eager eyebrows at the 'stripped' idea. (TMI - sorry.)

I have discovered several things about myself. One - I love to eat and I'm eating a ton on this plan. Two - I can live without chocolate. Three - it is possible to wake an hour earlier and exercise. Four - every pound that comes off is a hard-won battle. And Five - on day 29, I'm having a beer!

I've also ventured into muffin making. These are not the sugar-crystal, sweetness infused, close your-eyes-and-taste-the-sunshine muffins. These are the "Yep, I'll lose weight and it doesn't taste like crap" muffins. What I love is that every batch is slightly different and there is no measuring beyond the crack of an egg and a tablespoon. These also travel well and keep my satisfied - two very important aspects of eating clean.

Ready?

Get out the oatmeal, the eggs, two bananas and Cinnamon. Heat the oven to 450 F. Got a muffin tin? Don't even try this. There is no oil so these stick like gorilla glue. Use silicon muffin liners.

Place 1 tablespoon oatmeal (or cooked quinoa) in each muffin cup.
Crack on egg, using only the whites, into each cup. If you prefer, buy just the whites at the store and use 2-3 TBSP for cup.
Mash the bananas and plop a portion into each cup until it's all used.
With a fork, mix the contents of each cup.
Sprinkle Cinnamon on top.
Bake for 30 minutes.

Want extra fiber? Replace the eggs with 2 TBSP ground flax seeds that have been soaked in 4 TBSP water for at least 15 minutes. If you up the fiber, remember to drink more water.

Play around with the ingredients. I've tried several different combinations and discovered that these muffins are almost impossible to goof up. Some favorites include: Apples & carrots, blueberries, and grated zucchini sweetened with applesauce.