How to burn fat and boost metabolism with PROTEIN! (Healthy Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins)

If you’re following the Nutrifitx System, you already know the importance and benefits of the Morning Kickstart. It’s an amazing way to balance blood sugar levels, prepare your body for a productive day, kickstart your metabolism, and feel light and energized for a focused day! These Healthy Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins do just that! If you’re craving a sweet (but healthy) treat with your morning cup, let us introduce you to your new fave!

These healthy lemon poppy seed muffins are amazing for your body!

• A healthy and balanced dose of protein primes your body for productivity and activity
• Fresh squeezed lemons provide a quick boost of Vitamin C – that means these muffins are great for healthy skin, strengthening your immune system, boosting energy, and even helping fight and prevent disease or illness
• Organic poppy seeds add a dash of fiber, magnesium, calcium, and zinc – and a great texture you’re going to love!

This healthy lemon poppy seed muffin is great with a cup of coffee, a matcha latte, or your favorite tea lightly sweetened with honey.

Are lemon poppy seed muffins bad for you?

While lemon poppy seed muffins may sound healthy for you, the majority of recipes are not. Especially the ones you buy from a bakery or prepackaged muffins from your favorite store. The problem with these muffins isn’t the lemon or the poppy seed… it’s the base of the muffin itself.

Most muffins are made with all purpose flour, an ingredient that we have become accustomed to seeing and using in common baking. The problem with all purpose flour is that it has a very high glycemic impact, it’s low in fiber, and lacking in nutrients. In fact, all purpose flour is heavily processed – so much so that the few nutrients that are found in the finished product are chemically added after processing.

Next, we face the issue of sugar. Most traditional muffins are going to be made with white, granulated sugar. While a little sugar in your diet here or there isn’t terrible for you, eating this much of a concentration this early in the morning has a volatile affect on your blood sugar levels. Plus, granulated sugars are nutrient and fiber poor as well as high glycemic.

Together, these two ingredients create a super high glycemic effect, having double the impact. Two ingredients that process as a sugar can send your blood sugar levels through the roof at a time where they are naturally already high.

High sugar responses like this create a condition within the body we call insulin insensitivity. A healthy body is insulin sensitive – this the condition that makes weight and health management an effortless process. Pair this with the chronic mental, emotional, and physical stress most of us experience every day, and well… You’ve got quite the cocktail on your hands!

And, don’t forget, most lemon poppy seed muffins have a glaze on top which just further adds to the sugar content.

Then we have the butter. We believe that butter itself can be quite good for you in appropriate quantities. However, we often find far too much of this fat in our baked goods. Butter is high in cholesterol and saturated fat. While you do need some saturated fat, you don’t need nearly as much as is common in the SAD (Standard American Diet).

Let’s sum this up. Your typical lemon poppy seed muffin is:

• High in refined carbohydrates which create an insulin insensitive condition within the body. This makes it harder to lose/maintain weight and reach your health goals
• High in refined sugar which further spikes blood sugar levels. Plus, sugar contains virtually no nutrients whatsoever (we call this an empty calorie).
• High in saturated fat and possibly even cholesterol if egg and butter are used together.

The best thing going for these muffins is the use of lemon juice (if the traditional recipe didn’t use lemon extract or flavoring, which is very common) and whole poppy seeds.

Your traditional lemon poppy seed muffin just isn’t going to do it for you.

Unfortunately, traditional muffins are just about one of the worst things you can possibly eat in the morning.

Are lemon poppy seed muffins “off limits” for a healthy lifestyle or the Nutrifitx System?

Of course not! You will never hear us tell you that any food is to be eliminated or is off limits. The Nutrifitx System is a flexible health and weight loss program that allows you to choose the best foods for your body and lifestyle. We teach you the foundations of what a healthy lifestyle looks like. One of those foundations is knowing when and how to enjoy the foods you love, even if they aren’t Nutrifitx Approved. We don’t stick to the System 24/7/365, and we don’t expect you to either!

Sustainable health and weight loss with the Nutrifitx System is a result of putting an end to classic diet culture and mental fitness conditioning such as:

• Restriction or banning certain foods or food groups
• Massive calorie deficits
• The all-or-nothing mentality
• The urge to punish yourself (mentally, physically, or emotionally)

We teach you how to cultivate a balanced lifestyle with a holistic approach. An approach based on neuro-associative conditioning, behavioral change, and nutrition and health education. It’s not a diet. It’s a lifestyle.

You can absolutely enjoy a lemon poppy seed muffin and the System shows you exactly how! But, again, it’s all about balance. These healthy lemon poppy seed muffins are great for energy and productivity every day of the week!

These healthy lemon poppy seed muffins are nutrient dense and 100% Nutrifitx Approved!

So maybe you can’t eat a bakery muffin every day of the week… So what?! These healthy lemon poppy seed muffins are sweet, tasty, and supportive of your health and weight loss goals. You won’t even miss those other muffins when you realize how good Nutrifitx makes you feel 😉

Here’s what makes these muffins so healthy:

• We eliminated refined flours and replaced them with nutrient dense options that are great for your metabolism and health. A combination of oat flour, almond flour, tapioca flour, and high quality protein powder creates a better balance. With more fiber and protein, there is a much lower impact on your blood sugar. (If you do not have tapioca flour, you can replace it with more almond flour.)
• We added protein, so you’ll also feel fuller longer. And, adding protein makes this a great pre-workout treat, as the carbs and protein prime your muscles for activity. (Great for walking, running, yoga, pilates, bodyweight training, etc. For heavier workouts like calisthenics or weight lifting, you may want to eat a larger portion).
• We replaced refined sugars with applesauce and honey. Honey is a natural sweetener with antioxidants and even healing properties. Applesauce is high in fiber and micronutrients. These are a great alternative to empty calorie sugars and artificial sweeteners, as they offer numerous health benefits.
• This recipe uses no eggs, butters, or oils. Eggs, butter, and oil are healthy in proper portions when Nutrifitx Approved. But, having options available to you that do not have these ingredients lessens their occurrence in your diet. This gives you opportunities to consume nutrients you wouldn’t otherwise find in your diet.
• We used real lemon juice, boosting your vitamin C and antioxidant consumption. No extracts or artificial flavors here! (Extracts are usually healthy, but lemon juice is much more nutritionally dense and beneficial to your body.)

Missing some ingredients? No problem! Check out these replacements…

We are the first to recognize that this recipe includes a lot of ingredients. Some of these ingredients may be hard to find. Or maybe you just don’t want to buy things you’ll only use for one recipe. We get it! Here are some alternative options for you…

If you don’t have or can’t find poppy seeds, chia seeds are a good replacement. They’re high in fiber and healthy fats, which benefits your blood sugar, metabolism, and your hormones. Chia seeds also mimic the texture poppy seeds have. (Replace with 1/2 to 2/3 the amount of chia seeds.)

If you don’t have or can’t find tapioca flour, you can use more almond flour. Tapioca flour is a gluten free alternative to flour that gives baked goods a great texture. It’s super fine and soft. We love adding it to baked goods! However, you can replace it with additional almond flour if tapioca flour is unavailable to you.

The best part about these healthy lemon poppy seed muffins is… there’s nothing special about them. Throw all the ingredients into a bowl, mix, and drop into cupcake tins.

NUTRIFITX MEMBERS’ SCALE

Healthy Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

Lemon Poppyseed Protein Muffins

Yield: 18 Muffins (45 Mini Muffins)

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

These muffins are a yummy way to start your day! With protein, heatlhy carbs, and body loving ingredients, you'll be feeling energized and bright! Great for a pre-workout snack or a morning pick-me-up. (And it makes the perfect addition to your morning matcha latte!)

Print

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 c Oat Flour
• 1 c Vanilla Protein Powder (We like Vega)
• 1/4 c Almond Flour
• 1/4 c Tapioca Flour (or 1/4 c Almond Flour)
• 2 tsp Baking Soda
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/4 tsp Salt (Pink Himalayan or Sea Salt recommended)
• 1/2 c Oat Milk, Unsweetened (or Unsweetened Milk of Choice)
• 3/4 c Organic Unsweetened Applesauce
• 6 Tbsp Raw Honey (or 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp)
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1/2 c Lemon Juice (approx. 3 lemons)
• 3 Tbsp Poppy Seeds (or 1.5-2 Tbsp Chia Seeds)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 (F). Prep a muffin tin by lining and/or lightly brushing with light tasting olive oil.
2. Add all dry ingredients (except poppy seeds) to a mixing bowl. Mix well (preferably with a whisk).
3. Add all wet ingredients to the dry mix, stirring until well combined. (There should be no lumps or dry ingredients stuck to the sides of the bowl.)
4. When mixed well, add poppy seeds. Stir until evenly distributed.
5. Drop batter into muffin tins evenly (we like to use a cookie scoop or measuring spoon).
6. Bake 25-30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean (you may see a few crumbs, but there should be no wet ingredients left on the toothpick).
7. Let sit for about 3-5 minutes, then remove from pan. Transfer muffins to a cooling rack (or you can use a clean plate or pan elevated from the countertop so that air can move freely around the muffins). Allow to cool completely before packaging for later.

Notes

Organic labeled ingredients must be organic to be Nutrifitx Approved.

We like to make our own oat flour with a blender or food processor. Simply pour rolled oats into the container and blend until a powder forms.

Nutrition is calculated based on 18 (1.5 dozen) regular sized muffins.

Nutrition Information

Yield 18 Serving Size 1 Muffin
Amount Per Serving Calories 101Total Fat 2.3gSaturated Fat 0.9gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 0.6gCholesterol 0mgSodium 181.5mgCarbohydrates 17.1gFiber 1.5gSugar 6.9gProtein 4.3g

Nutrition may vary based on brands used, ingredient exchanges, portion size differences, and other changes made to the recipe.

Learn how to create amazing meal plans and cultivate daily routines that accelerate weight loss and optimize your health with the Nutrifitx System!