We are not dieters. We don’t jump on the bandwagon of fad diets simply because they. don’t. work. Josh and I have however, realized how awful we’ve been at eating well rounded meals and that food may actually have a pretty big impact on our bodies and well being. Duh.
This past week we started the Whole30 Program, which is basically Paleo but with a few more restrictions for 30 days. The key things they tell you to avoid are added sugar, alcohol, grains, legumes, dairy, white potatoes, and preservatives of any kind. The idea of the whole thing is to focus on eating real food – meat, veggies, fruits, eggs, nuts, etc. – and reset your “relationship” with food. I don’t see either Whole30 or Paleo as diets, but rather a lifestyle change. Because I have some auto immune deficiencies, I figured that it could do no harm at all to cut out things that could potentially be causing me more problems (inflammation of my joints, lack of energy, unexplained weight gain, etc.). Although we don’t think we’ll stick with it forever, I doubt that I’ll stray too far from the basics. In the past week, I’ve felt awesome (other than sugar withdrawal headaches). If you’ve never heard of Whole30 or Paleo, I really encourage you to check them out! It is so worth giving it a try, because the worst thing that could happen is that you find you enjoy eating more fruits and veggies!
I’ll do a full recap of what I’ve been eating and will be posting more recipes over the coming weeks, but right now I want to tell you about the banana muffins pictured above. Although some may argue that a few of the ingredients aren’t 100% Whole30 compliant (baking soda & baking powder), I say…pick your battles. I’ve been having a hard time getting a decent breakfast in me before work, so if a wholesome muffin can do the trick I think that’s worth it!
My recipe is inspired by this one. Because I didn’t have cashews or walnut oil, I figured I’d fudge the recipe a little and create my own. (BTW- this gal’s blog has been such a great encouragement to me and has supplied some pretty awesome recipe references! PLUS she’s a young Christian woman who met her husband while working at Camp. Bonus points!)
Grain, Dairy, & Sugar Free Banana Muffins:
Yields 1 dozen muffins
- 3 very ripe bananas
- ~1/3 cup almond butter (approximate – I used 2 big spoonfuls)
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 cups almond flour/meal (if you’ve made almond milk you can use the meal from that!)
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 3 Tbsp. shredded coconut (optional, but delicious!)
- Coconut oil to grease your muffin tin
- Begin by mixing your bananas, almond butter, and eggs.
- In a separate bowl, combine almond butter, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and shredded coconut.
- Add dry ingredients into your banana mixture and mix until combined.
- Grease your muffin tins and fill with 2/3 full with batter.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes at 375 degrees or until toothpick comes out clean.
- Let cool completely before storing.
- ENJOY!
These muffins don’t stand much of a chance of making it through the week. They are seriously delicious! I hope that you enjoy them just as much as we have been :)
Getting healthy,
Mrs. Edwards
- 3 very ripe bananas
- ~1/3 cup almond butter (approximate – I used 2 big spoonfuls)
- 2 eggs
- 1½ cups almond flour/meal
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- ½ tsp. nutmeg
- ¼ tsp. salt
- 3 Tbsp. shredded coconut (optional, but delicious!)
- Coconut oil to grease your muffin tin
- Begin by mixing your bananas, almond butter, and eggs.
- In a separate bowl, combine almond butter, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and shredded coconut.
- Add dry ingredients into your banana mixture and mix until combined.
- Grease your muffin tins and fill with ⅔ full with batter.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes at 375 degrees or until toothpick comes out clean.
- Let cool completely before storing.
- ENJOY!
