Healthy Strawberry Muffins

Muffins are a great snack when made with wholesome ingredients. We can fill them with nourishing ingredients such as fruit, nuts, and whole grains. Using wholemeal self-raising flour increases the wholegrain intake.

Whole grains are important for dietary fibre, vitamins, minerals and healthy fats they provide. They are important for gut and heart health.

Local sports dietitian, Simone Austin has kindly put together this healthy strawberry muffin recipe for Sunny Ridge.

Preparation Time: Less than 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Serves: 12

Ingredients:

• 1 egg
• ¾ cup natural or quark yoghurt
• ½ cup milk (if dry add ¾ cup)
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 cups wholemeal self-raising flour
• ½ cup self-raising flour
• 1 ½ cups chopped fresh strawberries
• ½ cup slivered almonds
• 1 tablespoon on lemon rind
• Optional additions: ¼ cup dark chocolate bits or 1 peeled, chopped and cooked apple or ½ cup raspberries

Method

Preheat oven to 180 degrees

Place muffin cases in muffin pans or oil

Mix egg, sugar, and oil together

Add yoghurt, flour and milk alternately

Add strawberries, rind, almonds and any other additional ingredients (e.g. dark chocolate, apple, other berries)

Mix together to form a batter. Avoid over mixing or muffins will be tough

Fill muffin case to ¾ full

Place in preheated oven

Bake for 20 minutes or until muffin spring bakes when touched

Cool in pan for 5 minutes and then on a wire rack.

Serve with extra strawberries.

Extra nutritional notes

• Strawberries have vitamin C, fibre, and antioxidants. Strawberries are also low in sugar and high in nutrients
•  These muffins use extra virgin olive oil to provide healthy fats- monounsaturated fat, good for our heart
• Adding nuts also provides healthy mono and polyunsaturated fats along with fibre, protein, fibre and vitamins and minerals. We used almonds but you could swap for whatever nuts you like
• We also increased the protein and calcium intake in these muffins by adding in natural yoghurt and milk

Want to see more from Simone? Connect with her on Instagram or Facebook.