Erin Gahagan finds a healthy new way to i gnite he r super powers.
Former Super Mario Bros. addict It’s a little-known fact that the summer before sixth grade, I was a die-hard gamer. From sunup to sundown, you could find me in the basement, sitting on a ‘70s-relic rust-colored shag floor pillow, adeptly navigating the levels of my new obsession: Super Mario Bros. 3. While I’d enjoyed its predecessors in Nintendo’s Super Mario Bros. cannon, I adored Super Mario Bros. 3 to an unhealthy extent.
The good news is, I got older and ceased spending my summers in front of a console in a damp basement. But that doesn’t mean I forgot my Super Mario Bros. fantasy: Wouldn’t it be totally awesome if power-ups were real? I mean, pop a Super Mushroom and you can break bricks! Scarf down a Super Leaf and you can fly!
The good news is, I got older and ceased spending my summers in front of a console in a damp basement. But that doesn’t mean I forgot my Super Mario Bros. fantasy: Wouldn’t it be totally awesome if power-ups were real? I mean, pop a Super Mushroom and you can break bricks! Scarf down a Super Leaf and you can fly!

Ok, so breaking bricks and flying might be bold goals best left to SMB3 (that’s what we gamers call it). The gals behind The Vegan Cheat Sheet have, however, discovered a real-life power-up they call Power Muffins (page 166; recipe below).
While they won’t make you fly, they will fill you with energy-boosting ingredients that’ll carry you through the day. Which is a pretty good superpower in itself!
While they won’t make you fly, they will fill you with energy-boosting ingredients that’ll carry you through the day. Which is a pretty good superpower in itself!

First things first: These muffins require a lot of ingredients, but most are staples you probably already have on hand. Those you may have to seek out are chia seeds, flaxseeds, and wheat germ.
Now I know these items are super healthy—but I have no idea why. So I quickly checked in with Dr. Oz (via doctoroz.com; regrettably, I don’t actually know the good doctor) and found:
Now I know these items are super healthy—but I have no idea why. So I quickly checked in with Dr. Oz (via doctoroz.com; regrettably, I don’t actually know the good doctor) and found:
Flax Seeds—great source of fiber; plant source of omega-3 fatty acids (which our body doesn’t make naturally, yet helps immensely with our anti-inflammatory system); contain lingans, purported to reduce the risk of some cancers.
Wheat Germ— the most vitamin- and mineral-rich part of the wheat kernel; packed with B vitamins, fiber, phytosterols (which promote good cholesterol), healthy fatty acids, minerals, and vitamin E.

Sounds good to me! The muffins I’m used to, after all, are pretty much butter and oil and God knows what else. This is definitely a health upgrade!
The Power Muffins are simple to whip up—mix together the dry ingredients, mix the wet ingredients, then combine and dole out into a muffin pan.
The Power Muffins are simple to whip up—mix together the dry ingredients, mix the wet ingredients, then combine and dole out into a muffin pan.

The end result? A super-healthy breakfast or snack, at home or on-the-go. The recipe makes 18 muffins, and they keep really well, so you’ll be set for a week. They’re a blank canvas for adding your own twists, too.

I have an insane sweet tooth, so my trick is to add Trader Joe’s Fig Butter to a warm muffin (have you tried Trader Joe’s Fig Butter? If not, stop reading and go buy some. I could write an entire post on its genius. It’s not actually butter, by the way—more of a jam).
So while Power Muffins may not give me the ability to shoot fireballs or evade my enemies by turning into a statue, they’re a pretty fabulous energy-boosting treat. Especially when I eat them while wearing overalls and a red “M” hat.
So while Power Muffins may not give me the ability to shoot fireballs or evade my enemies by turning into a statue, they’re a pretty fabulous energy-boosting treat. Especially when I eat them while wearing overalls and a red “M” hat.
Power Muffins
makes 18 muffins

1 tablespoon chia seeds
2 tablespoons wheat germ
1-½ cups white whole-wheat flour or whole-wheat pastry flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
½ cup applesauce
½ cup pure maple syrup
½ cup almond milk
½ cup raisins
2 tablespoons ground flaxseed or flaxseed meal mixed with 6 tablespoons warm water; let sit for 10 minutes
Preheat oven to 350°.
2 tablespoons wheat germ
1-½ cups white whole-wheat flour or whole-wheat pastry flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
½ cup applesauce
½ cup pure maple syrup
½ cup almond milk
½ cup raisins
2 tablespoons ground flaxseed or flaxseed meal mixed with 6 tablespoons warm water; let sit for 10 minutes
Preheat oven to 350°.
- In a large bowl, toss together chia seeds, wheat germ, flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
- In a separate bowl, mix remaining ingredients and add to flour mixture. Mix until well blended.
- Pour in nonstick muffin pan (or line muffin pan with paper cup liners) and bake for 30 minutes. Cool and serve.