Cranberry Cinnamon Bran Muffins

One of the widely used dieting strategies these days is eliminating carbohydrates. The thing is, it is never a good idea to completely eliminate a food category. As with all types of foods, there are good and bad choices. The trick is learning the difference. Rick Gallop's book Living the G.I. [Glycemic Index] Diet explains the difference. By choosing carbs that are harder to digest you can lose weight and lead a healthier lifestyle. The foods you want to avoid are "blonde" foods such as white bread and flour, white potatoes, white rice, etc which are easier to digest. Eating whole grains, brans, etc are better. One recipe Gallop provided in his book is for delicious, high fiber bran muffins. Each recipe makes 12 muffins, but I usually double it. Here's the original recipe.

Cranberry Cinnamon Bran Muffins

1 c wheat bran
1/2 c All-Bran or 100% bran cereal
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 c boiling water
1 c skim milk
1 c dried cranberries
1/3 c sugar substitute (I use Splenda)
1 egg
1/4 c fat free plain Greek yogurt
1 1/4 c whole wheat flour
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375. Combine bran, cereal, and salt. Add the boiling water and blend well. Add milk and cranberries. Set aside. In a smaller bowl whisk together sugar substitute, egg, and oil. Add to bran mixture. In a large bowl combine flour, baking soda, and cinnamon. Add bran mixture to flour mixture and stir until blended. Fill muffin cups and bake for 20 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.