What is a “smart muffin” you wonder? Well, you know a smart car right? One that is super efficient but still totally gets the job done? Today’s muffin recipe is the nutritional equivalent of that. It’s super simple to put together, uses easy to find ingredients, and of course, is on the healthier side of things.

I’ve always loved to bake

But there can be three problems with baking: time, mess and baked goods aren’t always “healthy.”  So many dirty dishes, measuring devices, pans, teaspoons — in short, while well worth it, baking can be a bit cumbersome and complex. And you can also hide a lot of junk in a muffin, refined flour, sugar and fat. I’ve many a blog post about healthy muffins. But none, my friends, are as simple as this one.

The SMART Muffin Recipe

• 1 box quick bread mix (I used Pillsbury)
• 1 mashed banana
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup lowfat plain yoghurt (I used Mountain High)

This is all you need…plus 2 eggs. I decided to throw them in at the last minute.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 and prepare your muffin tin.
2. Mash up your banana at the bottom of a big bowl.
3. Add all ingredients and mix until well blended (about 60 strokes).
4. Bake 15-20 minutes (just a little browned on the t0p)

That’s it. One bowl, 4 ingredients, 1 measuring cup and 20 minutes and you have a dozen (well, 14 which is a little annoying) delicious banana muffins ready to go!

Nutrition: 126 calories, 3.6g protein, 1.8g fat per muffin.

Simple Swap: Nonfat Yoghurt?

Does it sound weird to use yoghurt in muffins? I’ve used mashed bananas, apple sauce and/or pumpkin puree instead of oil for years. The addition of yoghurt gave this batch a special touch I think I’ll stick with. Plus, it adds a bit more protein, 40% fewer calories and 80% less fat! Not that I’m terribly fat phobic, but at least pulling the oil out of the muffin lets you put it on top with a teaspoon of creamy butter. A far better investment in my opinion. These are simple, healthy hacks that are totally worth it!

I used mountain high because they are on a mission to make things “simple” and since this was a simple recipe, I thought it was quite fitting. The other thing that is pretty cool about this brand is that they spend quite a bit of time encouraging people to reuse the containers in crafty ways. So now we’re talking simple, healthy and efficient. All of my favorite things! You can get some great ideas (and good recipes too!) if you follow them on Instagram, FaceBook, and/or Pinterest and use the hashtags #simplelife #mhy #mountainhight #mountainhighyoghurt #simplicity

Who would have thought that was a simple yoghurt container?

What are your favorite healthy baking hacks?