Arkansas Heart HospitalFrom the HeartAllHeart Healthy Breakfast Recipes: Blueberry Muffins and Chocolate Brownie Oatmeal

Heart Healthy Breakfast Recipes: Blueberry Muffins and Chocolate Brownie Oatmeal


heart healthy breakfast | Arkansas Heart Hospital

As we all know, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. And while most of us are prone to rush out the door with little more than a bowl of cereal or a small power bar, here are a couple of heart healthy breakfast recipes from our culinary team that are as delicious as they are nutritious.

Blueberry Muffins 

If you’re looking to jazz up your breakfast routine, these blueberry muffins are a tasty and sugar-free option the whole family can enjoy. They are filling and easy to make over the weekend, then grab and go on your way to school or work. This recipe makes eight. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

  • 1 pint fresh blueberries
  • 1 3/4 cups (8 ounces) 100% white whole wheat flour
  • 2 teaspoons reduced sodium baking powder
  • 1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon Splenda, divided
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 1/4 cup egg whites (equals three egg whites)
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened soy milk

Preparation:

  1. Preheat oven to 400° and lightly spray a muffin tin with canola oil cooking spray.
  2. Wash and drain blueberries and set aside.
  3. In a large bowl whisk together whole wheat flour, baking powder and 1/3 cup of Splenda and cinnamon.
  4. In a medium size bowl, whip egg whites until soft peaks form. Fold in applesauce, vanilla extract and soy milk.
  5. Fold egg white mixture into dry ingredients until combined. Gently fold in berries.
  6. Scoop batter into prepared muffin tin, sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon of Splenda and bake for 17 minutes or until tops are light brown.

Chef Tip:

  1. This recipe yields a not-too-sweet muffin, dense with warm blueberries.
  2. 100% white whole wheat flour is milled from hard white spring wheat rather than traditional red wheat. It makes for a lighter-colored and milder-tasting muffin compared to a muffin prepared with traditional whole wheat.

Chocolate brownie oatmeal

Who wouldn’t love a heart healthy breakfast recipe that uses chocolate? This chocolate brownie oatmeal from Chef Mark Elliotte in our StrongHearts kitchen makes a yummy, hearty breakfast bowl good for any weekend or before work or school. This recipe serves four.

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup rolled oats cooked with 1 1/2 cups of water
  • 1 teaspoon cocoa powder (raw, unsweetened)
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup milk (non-fat)
  • 1 tablespoon walnuts (optional)
  • 1 cup blueberries (optional)
  • 2 tablespoons Splenda

Preparation:

  1. Cook the oats with 1 ½ cups of water until the oats are fluffy and all the water has disappeared.
  2. Add the cocoa powder and cinnamon to the cooked oats while they are still hot.
  3. Stir until everything is fully combined, and your oats have a deep chocolate color.
  4. Add walnuts and milk (you can add as much milk as you like, I use 1/2 cup to give the oats a nice creamy consistency)
  5. Add the Splenda and stir to combine until the oats have the consistency you like. If you are using blueberries, add them now.

You can find more heart healthy recipes here and you can follow our culinary team on Instagram for more great ideas.