Movember has become an incredibly powerful movement for raising funds and awareness for men’s health. Since I chose not to grow a moustache this year, I knew I had to make my contribution in another way.
What I came up with? Movember Mo-Muffins. These muffins are specially crafted to contain ingredients that are of particular importance to men’s health, and of course are topped with little moustache picks that can be purchased at your local party goods store.
There is no better way to celebrate the end of Movember than by baking these gems!
The words “Men’s Health” mean different things to different people. Some people think depression, others might think prostate cancer and of course heart health is a big one too.
As a dietitian, heart health is actually the entity that I associate most with Men’s Health.
There are two primary reasons for this:
1) Heart Disease is one of the top contributors to mortality in Canadian men and its prevention is very strongly linked to dietary practices.
2) High blood pressure and high cholesterol are big risk factors for heart disease, two of the most common reasons why men are prescribed medication and yet can be treated ( sometimes exclusively) through dietary intervention.
Long story short, we have a pretty strong understanding of the different types of foods that are “Heart Healthy”, which makes it easier to identify and incorporate heart healthy ingredients into recipes.
That is exactly what I have done here today with the Mo Muffin, let’s take a closer look.
Andy The RD’s Heart Healthy Chocolate Chip Mo-Muffins ( Vegan + Gluten Free)
What you need:
2 tbsp flax seed
2 tbsp olive oil
1 avocado, mashed/pureed.
1 large banana, mashed/pureed.
2 tbsp Plant Sterol Margarine
¾ cup rolled oats
1 cup whole oat flour
½ cup vanilla soy milk
½ cup chopped walnuts
½ cup chocolate chips ( because somebody needs to actually eat these)
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
Directions:
1. Preheat your oven to 400F
2. Lightly oil muffin tray
3. Prepare “flax eggs” by combining 2 tbsp flax seed with 6 tbsp water and refrigerating for 15 minutes
4. Whisk flax eggs, mashed banana, oil, margarine , avocado and soy milk until smooth
5.Stir in oat flour, oatmeal, walnuts, chocolate chips, baking soda and baking powder to create batter
6. Fill muffin cups with the batter and cook for ~20 minutes.
Movember Matters
This muffin is something you can feel good about serving and eating. Every single ingredient was selected for its specific utility to Men’s Health and , if you ask me, there is no better recipe to celebrate the end of a successful Movember!
For those who are interested in learning more about why these ingredients are exceptionally important for Men’s Health, I have provided a brief explanation below.
Bonus Content – Why These Ingredients are great for Men’s Heart Health
Potassium – Comes from the banana and the avocado and is considered helpful for blood pressure regulation and overall heart health.
Soluble Fibre – Comes from the oat flour, oats, banana, avocado and flaxseed and is considered helpful for blood cholesterol regulation and overall heart health.
Omega 3 Fatty Acids – Comes from the flax seeds and walnuts and is considered helpful for blood triglyceride regulation and overall heart health.
Soy – Comes from the soy milk and is considered helpful for blood cholesterol regulation and overall heart health.
Monounsaturated Fats – Comes from the olive oil and the avocado and is considered helpful for blood cholesterol regulation and overall heart health.
Plant Sterols – Comes from the plant sterol margarine and is considered helpful for blood cholesterol regulation and overall heart health.
Andy De Santis RD MPH
