Healthier muffins?

[echoesofspring]

It's been so long since there was any activity in this forum, I guess I'll move this to the lounge if no one responds

DS doesn't really eat breakfast before school, and even on the weekends he'll go until late morning to eat and only if I really corner him about it. Last year my mom came for a week in the spring and made apple muffins and he devoured them. She (and then I ) ended up making and freezing several batches and for a few weeks we had something he would eat in the morning.

This week he's starting an ADHD medication that is likely to to suppress his appetite so his ped said it's really important we work with him on eating something before school starts and finding something he'll eat at lunch (he often skips lunch as well). So I'm thinking about those apple muffins, but there was a lot of sugar in the recipe, it really was just cake. No wonder he liked them so much. I'm wondering if anyone's had any success adding protein powders or using something like the Kodiak pancake flours to make baked goods a little more nutritious? Or if you've got recipes to share. Today I filled him up with a piece of banana bread from the store bakery, but I'd prefer to not make that a habit longterm and only use that when we don't have something better on hand. TIA!

[ArizonaGirl]

Boy I do quite a bit of these. Most of mine use kodiak cakes and I add protein powders.

I follow Elyse Ellis on IG, and she has an app with recipes, but she posts quite a few on her IG that are free. I make a blueberry and pumpkin muffin from her IG that are delicious. She usually uses a sugar substitute, which I don't use, but she still has less sugar.

I really enjoy these.

[echoesofspring]

Thanks ArizonaGirl! I'll check her out. 2 q's - what protein powder(s) do you use and does the protein powder or the kodiak flour leave any sort of gritty feeling in your mouth? He is pretty sensory sensitive - we have a giant box of the pancake mix sitting basically unused b/c it didn't fly with the kids, but I'm hoping it would be less noticeable in a baked good.

[PunkyBoo]

Due to hypoglycemia, I focus on low sugar breakfasts that fill you up. I make baked oatmeal muffins for my breakfast that are sooo yummy. DS2 likes them too (he also has ADHD but his appetite isn't really affected). I also make "egg biscuits" for the kids breakfasts. Both can be made with varied ingredients to taste and for variety. DS1's nutritionist recommended some protein bars that are the best "worst case scenario" breakfasts- they are Perfect bars, we buy them at Costco (they're refrigerated because mostly real food). I also keep Greek or Icelandic yogurt on hand with high protein/lower sugar "granola".
Let me know if you want any recipes.
ETA I buy Kodiak frozen waffles which are great with nut butters on them. DS2's favorite lunchbox lunch is a "waffle sandwich"- 2 Kodiak waffles, toasted, spread sunflower butter, and a very thin layer of either Nutella, or jelly, or granola butter. I also make pancakes from the Kodiak mix and make sandwiches with those too.

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[jgenie]

These muffins have been a big hit here. They freeze well and can be made in lots of variations. The BBB banana bread recipe is really good. I sub ricotta cheese for the yogurt to bulk up the protein. You could decrease the sugar a bit each time you make it until you hit the sweet spot of sweet but not full of sugar. Would he do baked oatmeal?

[Liziz]

Ok this isn't exactly what you're asking for, but I just made this recipe for the first time: https://fromscratchfast.com/pumpkin-...kfast-cookies/ and I'm sitting here eating one and really loving it. I skipped the dried fruit and chocolate chips and used a handful of cinnamon chips instead. I would also use less maple syrup next time (I'd probably drop it down to a 1/3 cup), because I prefer less sugary breakfasts, but they're not crazy sweet as is, so if you're going to try it you might want to start as written.

[elbenn]

I just use the Kodiak muffin mix. The blueberry lemon is super yummy.

[petesgirl]

Thanks ArizonaGirl! I'll check her out. 2 q's - what protein powder(s) do you use and does the protein powder or the kodiak flour leave any sort of gritty feeling in your mouth? He is pretty sensory sensitive - we have a giant box of the pancake mix sitting basically unused b/c it didn't fly with the kids, but I'm hoping it would be less noticeable in a baked good.

Not ArizonaGirl, but my kids like making waffles out of the Kodiak Cakes mix way better than pancakes. The pancakes were blah but they will eat it in waffle form!

As far a protein powders go, my favorite is Just Ingredients. She has some really yummy flavors that taste like dessert but are made with all real, clean Ingredients and monk fruit as a sweetner. My 12 yr old likes the Strawberries and Cream just to drink, but I often sub in a bit of Vanilla or Plain in place of some flour when I make baked goods.

[ArizonaGirl]

Thanks ArizonaGirl! I'll check her out. 2 q's - what protein powder(s) do you use and does the protein powder or the kodiak flour leave any sort of gritty feeling in your mouth? He is pretty sensory sensitive - we have a giant box of the pancake mix sitting basically unused b/c it didn't fly with the kids, but I'm hoping it would be less noticeable in a baked good.

I don't notice it is baked goods, one of mine will eat them, the other won't.

I use ihm protein powder, it's whey based and bakes beautifully, but is formulated to be gentle on your stomach.

https://shopiheartmacros.com/products/iheart-protein

[ArizonaGirl]

I also like g2g bars for a quick snack. They are a little hard to find and refrigerated because they don't have preservatives, but I would argue they are as good as a candy bar, but with 18 g protein.

https://g2gbar.com/