A muffin recipe to fight high blood pressure

We bet the Muffin Man never offered such healthful fare! Applesauce replaces some of the fat, and fresh apples and oatmeal add nutritious fibre. But they're still as delicious as any homemade muffin you can remember.

This Dutch apple muffin recipe is great for controlling blood pressure because of the oats inside. Oats are a nutritional winner. They are high in soluble fibre, B vitamins and vitamin E, as well as heart-healthy minerals. Oats may help to reduce blood cholesterol. Each serving (1 muffin) provides:

Key nutrients: 220 Calories, 70 Calories from Fat, 7 g Fat, 1 g Saturated Fat, 0 g Trans Fat, 3 g Protein, 35 g Carb, 2 g Fibre, 150 mg Sodium

Blood pressure nutrients: 1 mg Vitamin C, 16 mg Magnesium, 159 mg Potassium, 43 mg Calcium

Preparation time 10 minutes 

Cooking time 20 minutes

Makes 12 muffins

• 375 g (1 2/3 c) all-purpose flour, divided
• 175 g (3/4 c) firmly packed brown sugar, divided
• 2 pkgs apple-cinnamon instant oatmeal, about 37 g (1 1/2 oz) each, divided
• 30 ml (2 tbsp) margarine
• 5 ml (1 tsp) baking soda
• 2 ml (1/2 tsp) apple pie spice
• Salt to taste
• 275 g (1 1/4 c) unsweetened applesauce
• 50 ml (1/4 c) vegetable oil
• 125 ml (1/2 c) fat-free egg substitute
• 1 large apple, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 190°C (375°F). Line a 12-muffin baking pan with paper liners. Combine 75 grams (1/3 cup) flour, 50 grams (1/4 cup) brown sugar, 1 package oatmeal and margarine in small bowl. Stir together with fingertips until margarine is incorporated into dry ingredients (mixture will be crumbly). Set aside.
2. Mix remaining flour, remaining oatmeal, baking soda, apple pie spice and salt in medium bowl and make well in centre of mixture.
3. Stir together applesauce, oil, remaining brown sugar and egg substitute in another medium bowl until brown sugar dissolves. Pour all at once into well. Stir just until combined (do not overmix; batter should be lumpy). Stir in apple.
4. Spoon batter into muffin cups. Sprinkle with reserved crumb topping. Bake until toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean, about 20 minutes.

• Add a pear instead of the apple in Step 3.
• Add 125 grams (1/2 cup) dried raisins to the batter.
• For a denser muffin with even more fibre, substitute whole-wheat flour for the all-purpose flour.
• You can replace 5 millilitres (1 teaspoon) of apple pie spice with: (2 millilitres) 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 millilitre (1/4 teaspoon) ground ginger, 0.5 millilitres (1/8 teaspoon) ground allspice and 0.5 millilitres (1/8 teaspoon) ground nutmeg

The nutrients inside one of these muffins will provide you with what you need to help control high blood pressure and it has the added benefit of being incredibly delicious.