morning glory muffins

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Muffins get a bad rap when it comes to breakfast. They have a tendency  to lack any nutrition. Most muffins are overly sweet. Basically, muffins are cakes that pass for a breakfast food. Quite frankly, I am ok with that. However, sometimes you need a better breakfast, and these morning glory muffins fit the bill. Packed with fruit, veggies, and nuts, these muffins have it all, plus they are delicious.

This is the first year I have had a kid play on a traveling sports team. Let me tell you, there is a learning curve. Our first road trip weekend, I thought I had planned well. I packed all the uniforms, extra socks, sneakers, knee pads non-sport clothes, camera with extra battery and memory card, directions to venues and hotel…I had everything…except I didn’t. Turns out we were playing in a gym in the middle of a neighborhood, with not a single store or restaurant nearby. With only 1 hour between games, there was not enough time to drive around in search of food. Stella played back-to-back games without eating. They didn’t even have bottles of water for sale.

Mom fail in a big way.

snacks to pack for road trips

After that first tournament weekend, I have learned to pack accordingly.  Tournament weekends typically include several venues and tight schedules. Many times we have only an hour between games, so Stella and I eat a lot of meals in the car going from game to game. Even if available, road food or snack bar snacks do not do a player’s body good. Now, we come prepared with plenty of meal and snack options. Grapes, mandarin oranges (already peeled), string cheese, crackers, granola bars, and trail mix are some of our favorites. When we have early games, I always make sure to pack plenty of muffins. Stella loves them, and when it comes to breakfast on-the-go, muffins are pretty portable with minimal mess. These morning glory muffins pack enough goodness in them that I don’t feel like I’m giving Stella cake before a big game, but still sweet enough that she’ll actually eat them. Healthy food doesn’t do anyone good if it doesn’t get eaten.

how to make morning glory muffins

Print Recipe

Yield: 12 muffins

morning glory muffins

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup white whole wheat flour
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ cup whole milk
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup melted butter
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 large apple, grated (i use granny smith)
• 1 large carrot, grated
• ½ cup shredded unsweetened coconut
• ½ cup raisins
• ½ cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Grease or line muffin tin with paper liners
• In a large bowl whisk together all of the dry ingredients (through the salt)
• In a separate bowl whisk together the milk, eggs, butter, and vanilla
• Pour wet ingredients over the dry and stir just until combined
• Fold in the apple, carrot, coconut, raising and walnuts - do not overmix
• Divide batter among muffin cups
• Bake 20 minutes
• Cool in pan 5 minutes, then remove to a rack to cool
• Once cool, muffins can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days (store in a zip-top bag or airtight container)

In or out of the car, I absolutely love Brawny® Tear-A-Square® paper towels. Not all messes are created equal. A Morning Glory Muffin needs only a quarter sheet, but a good old fashioned PB&J, well that’s a full sheet for sure. At least the way Stella likes it. With quarter, half, and full sheet options, you get full sized Brawny® strength while using only what you need.

(Washing sweat from your face with water bottle water is a full sheet job in case you were wondering.)

The new Brawny® Tear-A-Square® quarter sheet size is perfect for meals on the go…AKA snacking in the car between games. There’s a lot less waste and less mess in the car to clean up after a tournament weekend. Come Sunday night, no one needs a car full of trash to deal with.

Enjoy!