I recently listened to an audiobook on women’s health by a doctor who reported how most women don’t typically consume the recommended daily amount of dietary fiber of 25 – 30 grams per day. Truth be told, I’ve never stopped to consider if I’m reaching that recommendation & as I think of my meals over the last few days the answer is an underperforming, resounding no.

I started to get curious about my go to choices, or the ones I use in heavy rotation. For instance, fruits are typically apples (large with skin on 5.4 grams), bananas (medium size 3.1 grams), blueberries (1 cup 3.6 grams), blackberries (1 cup 7.6 grams), raspberries (1 cup 8 grams), strawberries (1 cup 3.5 grams), 1/2 an avocado or 68 grams of an avocado (4.6 grams). Vegetables are broccoli (1 cup 5.1 grams), spinach (1 cup 2.4 grams), spring mix salad (1 cup 1.1 grams), green beans (1 cup cooked 4 grams), zucchini/ yellow squash (1 cup 1.4 grams), cauliflower (1 cup 2.5 grams). Nuts are walnuts (1/4 cup 1.7 grams), pecans (1/4 cup 2.9), pistachios (1.5 oz bag 2 grams).

I rarely eat cereal anymore, but while listening to this book I developed a taste for bran muffins. Surely, a good source of dietary fiber; in fact, 3.5 grams per muffin.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups wheat bran

1 cup buttermilk

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 egg

2/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup raisins (I omitted these)

Preparation:

In a bowl, mix together wheat bran & buttermilk; let stand for 10 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees & line muffin tin with 12 liners.

In a liquid measuring cup whisk together the oil, egg, & vanilla extract.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, & salt.

Once the bran/ buttermilk combination has softened, add to the flour mixture, & add the oil, egg, & vanilla extract mixture. Beat together until we’ll blended.

Bake for 15 – 20 minutes (mine were complete at 17 minutes) or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Enjoy!

Source: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/25224/classic-bran-muffins/