1 September 2009
Snack Attack: TJ’s Apple Cranberry Bran Muffins
Okay, so normally I don’t believe in muffins. Often topping 400 or 500 calories, muffins are glorified cake (without the frosting). Usually I’d rather eat cake than muffins, so muffins really have no place in my life. Muffins are a dessert masquerading as a healthy breakfast food. If you’re going to eat a muffin, at least know that it’s dessert.
These muffins? Are different. These muffins are the anti-muffin. The ingredient list gets a double thumbs up from me: wheat bran, water, white grape juice, whole wheat flour, apples, cranberries, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. And the nutrition stats seem physically impossible:
Calories: 80
Fiber: 13g (!!!!)
Protein: 5g
These muffins seem too good to be true and really, they are because they’re not for everyone. These are not your grandma’s muffins. They’re small, dense, sort of chewy, highly textured, and very bran-y. But they’re extremely filling and the bursts of cranberry are genius.
If you’re a pastry-in-the-morning type of person and you’re somewhat adventurous about highly fibrous foods, I’d suggest you head to your nearest Trader J’s and check out these bad boys. Just don’t come running to me if they aren’t cakey and fluffy like your normal morning cake—er—muffin. They’re a different animal entirely, although they resemble a muffin just enough to satisfy most carby cravings.
