are moist without any added oil. The moisture in the muffins comes from shredded apples and applesauce. Switching from 2 whole eggs to 4 egg whites skims about 368 milligrams of cholesterol and 10 grams of fat from the recipe (since a large whole egg contains about 5 grams of fat), and using whole-wheat flour adds fiber along with vitamins and minerals.
Skinny Tip:
If you do not like the taste of whole-wheat flour, try white whole-wheat flour, which is milled from white wheat, a variety of wheat that is lighter in color and flavor than traditional red wheat yet delivers all the nutrition of whole wheat.
Ingredients
Nonstick cooking spray or 12 paper cupcake liners, for greasing or lining the muffin tin
1 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
4 large egg whites, beaten
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup Applesauce (see recipe)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 medium McIntosh, Golden Delicious (or other varieties good for baking) apples, peeled, cored and shredded
Directions
1 Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat the wells of a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray or line the wells with paper cupcake liners.
2 In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and sea salt, and mix well.
3 Make a well in the center of the dry mixture. Add the egg whites, brown sugar, Applesauce and vanilla, and stir until well combined.
4 Fold in the apples.
5 Spoon the batter into the wells of the prepared muffin tin, so that it is evenly distributed.
6 Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a muffin comes out clean.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
120 calories, 0 grams fat, 0 grams saturated fat, 0 grams trans fat, 0 milligrams cholesterol, 200 milligrams sodium, 26 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams fiber, 13 grams sugar, 3 grams protein
BLUEBERRY BUCKWHEAT PANCAKES
Yield: 6 servings (2 pancakes each)
Before:
Depending on how pancakes are made, you can wind up starting your day with a whole lot of empty calories, little to no fiber and lots of sugar from syrup.
Skinny-Size It:
These pancakes are half whole-wheat flour and half buckwheat flour, which mixes up the taste while still adhering to 100 percent whole grains. And for sweetness, this recipe calls for blueberries in the batter and my homemade Blueberry Maple Syrup (see recipe) as the topping.
Skinny Tip:
Although the word buckwheat would lead you to think that buckwheat is a grain, it is actually the fruit seeds of an herb, the buckwheat plant, though it is still considered to be part of the whole-grain family. The triangular-shaped seeds are ground into flour, which has a nutty flavor and is gluten free. Because of its strong flavor, buckwheat flour is typically mixed with other flours. Look for buckwheat flour in the grocery store baking aisle, near the all-purpose white flour, or check the health food section of the store for this flour.
Ingredients
3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
3/4 cup buckwheat flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/2 cups low-fat milk plus 1 tablespoon white vinegar (buttermilk)
2 large egg whites, beaten
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
Nonstick cooking spray, for greasing the skillet or griddle
1/2 cup Blueberry Maple Syrup (see recipe)
Directions
1 In a large mixing bowl, combine the whole-wheat flour, buckwheat flour, sugar, baking soda and sea salt, and mix well.
2 Make a well in the center of the dry mixture. Add the buttermilk and egg whites, and stir until well combined.
3 Fold in the blueberries.
4 Coat a large skillet or griddle with cooking spray and then heat it over medium heat.
5 Working in batches, ladle 1/4 cup of the pancake batter onto the skillet or griddle. Cook until bubbles appear on the surface and the underside is golden brown, about 1 minute. Flip the pancake with a spatula and cook it on the other side, about 1 minute more. Repeat until all the batter has been used.
6 Serve the pancakes at once with the Blueberry Maple Syrup.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
190 calories, 1.5 grams fat, 0 grams saturated fat, 0 grams trans fat, < 5 milligrams cholesterol, 450 milligrams sodium, 38 grams carbohydrates, 5 grams fiber, 18 grams sugar, 7 grams protein
VERY BANANA PANCAKES
Yield: 6 servings (2 pancakes each)
Before:
A serving of traditional pancakes can have as much as or even more than 400 calories, 80 milligrams of cholesterol and 38 grams of sugar, while offering only about 1 gram of fiber!
Skinny-Size It:
These Skinny-size pancakes allow you to have the same number of pancakes as in a typical serving but at a cost of only 300 calories, almost no cholesterol and little added sugars. Most of the sugar in these pancakes comes from the fresh bananas in the batter, and a serving contains 6 grams of belly-filling fiber, thanks to the combination of whole-wheat (or oat) flour and oatmeal!
Skinny Swap:
In any pancake, muffin or cookie recipe swap each whole egg for 2 egg whites. This single change will trim the recipe by 65 calories, 5 grams of fat and 186 milligrams of cholesterol. Additionally, instead of all-purpose white flour, use 100 percent whole-wheat or oat flour, found in the grocery store baking aisle.
Ingredients
3/4 cup old-fashioned oats
1 1/2 cups low-fat milk plus 1 tablespoon white vinegar (buttermilk)
3/4 cup whole-wheat flour or oat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
2 medium bananas, plus 1 sliced for garnishing
Nonstick cooking spray, for greasing the skillet or griddle
1/2 cup Banana Maple Syrup (see recipe)
Directions
1 In a small bowl, soak the oats in 3/4 cup of the buttermilk for 10 minutes.
2 In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and sea salt, and mix thoroughly.
3 Make a well in the center of the dry mixture. Add the egg whites, brown sugar, the remaining 3/4 cup of buttermilk and the oat-buttermilk