Bone-Healthy Muffin Recipe

INGREDIENTS
 2½ cups whole-wheat pastry flour or gluten-free baking flour from garbanzo beans
 ½ cup wheat bran
 ½ cup whey protein powder
 ¼ cup ground flaxseeds
 1 teaspoon baking soda
 ¼ teaspoon baking powder
 2 teaspoons cinnamon
 ½ teaspoon nutmeg
 3 eggs
 1 cup xylitol
 ¾ cup virgin coconut oil
 ¼ cup blackstrap molasses
 ¼ cup orange or apple juice concentrate
 2 cups pureed zucchini (unpeeled)
 1 cup grated sweet potato (peeled)
 1 cup dark chocolate chips (grain-sweetened is fine unless you have celiac disease)
 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

DIRECTIONS
 Preheat the oven to 325º F and line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.
 In a large bowl, combine the flour, bran, whey powder, flaxseeds, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg and stir until well mixed.
 Beat the eggs in a mixer for about 2 minutes, until light and foamy.
 Add the xylitol, coconut oil, molasses, and juice concentrate and mix on low speed just until combined. Stir in the zucchini and sweet potato.
 Gently fold the egg mixture into the dry ingredients until thoroughly blended, then add the chocolate chips and walnuts and stir once or twice.
 Scoop the dough into the prepared muffin tin, filling each cup about three-quarters full. Bake for about 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, then cool on a wire rack.
 For moister muffins, use 1½ cups zucchini pureed to applesauce consistency in a food processor (about 2 small zucchinis). Instead of chocolate chips, you can use 1 cup of dried figs or prunes. Dice them or chop them in a food processor until you have small, raisin-size chunks. (I prefer the muffins with figs.)
Yield: 2 dozen muffins
recipe from THE WHOLE-BODY APPROACH TO OSTEOPOROSIS: How to Improve Bone Strength and Reduce Your Fracture Risk (New Harbinger Publications)