Banana-Peanut Butter Chia Seed Muffins

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• Raise your hand if you’ve ever tried kefir, safflower oil, chia seeds or teff! Raise your hand if you’ve ever even heard of kefir, safflower oil, chia seeds or teff! Now raise your hand if you know what to make with kefir, safflower oil, chia seeds or teff! If there are crickets in the background, I don’t blame you. Until I wrote this post, I’d never tried any of these ingredients before – let alone knew what to make with them or what they tasted like. The good news is they all taste great and are surprisingly versatile -- the bad news is... well, there isn’t any. It’s all good. Especially because if you hold tight with me as we talk all about these new fancy food trends, you’ll get a recipe for Banana-Peanut Butter Chia Seed Muffins that taste AMAZING. Let’s talk about food, baby!First up, the lovely grain called teff. Teff flour is the grain really fine-ground so you can use it as flour. You can find both versions in most grocery stores, but definitely in specialty stores. Why is it so dang popular? Because it packs a serious wallop of nutrition -- calcium, fiber and protein can all be found in what is known as the smallest grain in the world. You can cook the light, nutty-tasting whole grain like you would oatmeal, or you can turn it into polenta, add it to meatless burgers or use the flour version in your favorite baked goods. Bonus fact: it’s gluten free!Next, we have kefir. Not going to lie -- the first time I tried the stuff, it was no picnic. It’s kind of a cross between tangy yogurt and milk, so my brain was all confuzzled on the texture and taste and didn’t know what to make of it.
• But now that I know it makes a killer smoothie or parfait, I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to part with it. Plus, the nutrition is out of this world – hello, probiotics and protein! You can also use it in place of yogurt, sour cream and buttermilk in your favorite dips and baked goods, but once you put it in the oven, most of the nutrients will be zapped out. Still tasty, though.On to safflower oil! This was the most familiar trendy ingredient to me, but I’d never actually tried it before. I had no idea what I was missing – not only is it lighter and better for you than many other oils, but it tastes really, really ridiculously good. People love it for its high smoke point, making it ideal for deep-frying. There are two types of safflower oil, too: one with monounsaturated fats and the other with polyunsaturated fats. Pay attention to which one you buy, because while the one with monounsaturated fats is ideal for cooking with heat, the other one turns rancid when heated and is best only for salad dressings. Finally, let’s discuss ch-ch-ch-chia seeds! These little guys are super trendy, super nutritious and super flavorful, which is why people regard them as a superfood. There’s a mega amount of fiber in each seed, and they’re kind of magical – if you mix them together with water, they make a chia gel, which can be used in place of eggs in baked goods or in drinks and smoothies. You can also sprinkle the stuff on top of your morning cereal for extra oomph right before or after a workout. Orrrrr... you can toss a handful into these delectable banana peanut butter muffins. These Banana-Peanut Butter Chia Seed Muffins are the best breakfast ever. You’ll be full for hours and hours. So there you have it, folks! Four funky, fancy food trends for you to try!
• Make the most of your mornings with these muffin recipes.