Homemaker Monday: High-Protein Whole Wheat Pumpkin-Applesauce Muffins

This post is in progress....

So I'm really into hemp seed right now. Don't worry, I haven't become a Mormon gone wild. Hemp is a cousin to marijuana, but without the mood-altering qualities. I was introduced to it by my good friends from Canada, and now I can't get enough of it. The number one thing I love about hemp seed is it's high protein content. For someone like myself who rarely consumes meat, hemp seed is an excellent way to get a complete protein, like soy or quinoa. It's also completely filling, leaving me feeling full for hours on end, thus helping with my weight loss goals. Here, check out some of hemp's nutritional info via livestrong.com.....

Calories And Carbohydrates:

"A 2 tbsp. serving of hemp seeds contains 160 calories. Hemp seeds are approximately 12 percent carbohydrates, meaning this serving size contains about 5 g of carbohydrates. Two tbsp. of hemp seeds provides just 1 g of fiber.

Beneficial Fats:

"Hemp seeds contain 10 g of fat per 2-tbsp. serving, almost all of which is heart-healthy unsaturated fats. Hemp seeds provide significant amounts of omega-3 fatty acids. This type of unsaturated fat helps with brain development and function and protects against heart disease.

Protein:

"Unlike most other plant proteins, hemp is a complete protein. It contains all of the amino acids that the body cannot produce in desirable ratios. Complete proteins are primarily found in fish, poultry, eggs, dairy or meat. Hemp seeds are valuable to vegans as a protein alternative to soy or quinoa. Two tbsp. of hemp seeds contain 11 g of protein.

Additional Nutrition Information:

"Hemp seeds are a source of a dozen vitamins and minerals. The precise amounts depend on the brand purchased, but in general, a 2-tbsp. serving of hemp seeds offers 5 mg of iron, or 20 percent of the recommended dietary allowance based on a 2,000-calorie diet. It also offers 8 percent of the RDA for vitamin E, 26 percent for thiamine, 21 percent for riboflavin and 15 percent for vitamin B6. Hemp seeds provide 52 percent of the RDA for folic acid, 36 percent for phosphorus, 43 percent for magnesium, 20 percent for zinc, 8 percent for copper and 60 percent of manganese. Hemp provides 15 percent of the RDA for the mineral potassium, which helps to manage the body's mineral and fluid balance."

So yeah, hemp seed is my new favorite. And I found the following delicious muffin at allrecipes.com to which I added a cup of hemp, making the total protein for the recipe 88 grams! The whole family loved these, and it felt great to offer them something so good for them. Enjoy!

P.S. The best price I've found for hemp hearts  is HERE.

Ingredients:

For the muffins:
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
⅔ cup brown sugar, firmly packed
⅓ cup white sugar
¼ cup canola oil
½ cup applesauce
½ cup canned pumpkin
⅓ cup buttermilk
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup hemp seeds
¼ cup golden raisins (optional)
¼ cup chopped pecans (optional)

For the streusel topping:
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
5 tablespoons white sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter, diced

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease 12 muffin cups, or line the cups with paper muffin liners.

2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice; set aside. Combine the brown sugar, white sugar, oil, applesauce, pumpkin, buttermilk, and beaten eggs and mix until well blended. Pour the pumpkin mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until combined. Fold in the raisins, hemp seeds and pecans.

4. For the streusel topping, combine 2 tablespoons flour, 5 tablespoons sugar ,and ½ teaspoon cinnamon in a small bowl. Cut in 2 tablespoons butter with fork or pastry blender until mixture resembles course crumbs.

3. Divide the batter evenly in the prepared muffin pan. Sprinkle about a tablespoon of streusel topping onto each muffin. Bake in the preheated oven until the tops spring back when lightly pressed, 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the muffin pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes before removing the muffins from the pan.

Okay, now it's your turn! What homemaking tips, recipes or how-tos do you have for us today? Can't wait to see! Thanks for your visits and links and have a wonderful Homemaker Monday!

P.S. I'm finally getting skinnier!

See how I'm doing it HERE! :)