Blueberry Bran Muffins with Chia Seeds

I don’t know if I’ve mentioned this before, but Kev is a CPA for a public accounting firm here in KC, so his work load increases about 90% when the good ole’ month of January rolls around. At this point the poor guy goes into work on the weekdays around 7:00am and then doesn’t get home until around 10:00 pm, he then works about eight hours on Saturdays and even a little on Sundays too. It’s a vicious cycle, and by the time he comes home at night he looks like he’s hasn’t slept in about a week, all from staring at his computer screen for the last 15 hours straight. Sounds pretty horrible, right?

It’s also right about now that I really start to worry about his health, and want to make sure he’s eating right or eating at all for that matter. He’s not really a breakfast person by nature, and scoffs anytime I suggest that maybe he should consider eating something small – even a granola bar – to keep his energy up through lunch. I finally decided enough is enough and set out to make some muffins packed full of protein that he could eat on the go – even if he fought me on it.

These get their “health” name in a trio of ways – first off, from blueberries.

Not only are blueberries one of my favorite fruits, but are the fruit highest in antioxidants and can do wonders in boosting your immune system. Some of the antioxidants you might recognize are vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin A, zinc, and iron, among others. They are also a great facilitator in preserving vision, increasing brain health, and preventing heart disease. Who knew something so tasty could also be so good for you.

Next up, chia seeds.

Say what?

Yeah, like the chia seeds used to grow chia pets back in the day. You remember – those creepy little plant creatures that every little kid wanted in the 90’s? For $19.99 or something of that nature you could buy and nurture your very own plant, and he or she would grow to be the shape of a dog, cat, or whatever strange shape of your choosing.

Ahh it was the little (and weird) things that kept us happy back then….

Apparently, we were all missing out on a massive secret back then, because those little chia seeds have some major health benefits to them. It’s yet another trend in an endless line of health fads that has come to light in the last few years.

Full of fiber, chia seeds aid in weight loss by keeping you full longer and filling you up faster – something I desperately need in my diet. Even the famed Dr.Oz claimed “They just may be one of the healthiest things around.”” And I listen to Dr.Oz.

Lastly, in our tri-fecta of healthy ingredients, we have bran cereal –another one that’s going to help keep you full and fill you up faster. I grew up eating bran muffins so I love them, Kevin was just so-so on it, but he’s a white-flour-sugar-lovin baked goods kinda guy so his lackadaisical attitude on these guys wasn’t really a surprise.

Since we are just a family of two for now, I made a whole batch of these and I’m going to freeze the rest and pull them out as I need them for breakfast or a snack in a flash — and you should too.