Love baked goods, but don't love the all the refined flour that goes into them? Me too! As a nutritionist and wellness consultant, I'm always looking for ways to makeover my family's favorite "treats" in order to give them at least some nutritional value. Here's a great tool to add to your pantry: white whole wheat flour. So, what is white whole wheat flour? Is it nutritious? How can I use it?

White whole wheat flour is made from albino wheat which doesn't have bran color. It has a milder taste and smoother texture than flour made from red wheat, but it's still made from the whole grain. Great news - you get all the nutrition and health benefits of whole grain with a texture and flavor that's milder. It's not hard to find. I've spotted it at most local grocery stores.

I picked up a bag a couple of weeks ago in hopes of making over some baked goods that my family loves. They can be a little picky when I try to use whole wheat flour in recipes since it can result in a gritty, heavy texture. This is the solution! The muffins I made were denser than we're used to, but without a doubt, they passed the kid test with flying colors.

Now, let's face it, muffins are not health food, but my family really loves them. I don't like to buy muffins from the store because they're filled with artificial flavors, colors, and tons of refined flour. At least with the white whole wheat flour, we get some fiber, vitamins, and minerals from the grain in their muffins. This is a new recipe I came up with. Use it as a base recipe and add nuts, fruit, or chocolate chips to suit your family's tastes:

Super Muffins:

½ cup butter--softened,1 c unsweetened applesauce,2 tsp baking powder,½ tsp salt,1 tsp vanilla,½ tsp cinnamon,¼ cup sugar,2 eggs,½ c fat-free milk,2 c white whole wheat flour,optional add-ins: ¾ cup blueberries, nuts, mashed banana, chocolate chips.

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line muffin pans with paper cups. Beat together the butter, applesauce, baking powder, salt, vanilla, cinnamon, and sugar until well-combined. Beat in the eggs and milk. Mix in the flour. Fold in any add-ins. Spoon into muffin cups about ¾ full. Bake 25-30 minutes or until the muffins begin to lightly brown. Remove from pans and cool. Makes 12 muffins - each about 180 calories.

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