Ward Off Your "Muffin Top" With These Three Phase 2 Savory Muffin Recipes!

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Muffins seem to have originated in tenth century England, when they were made mostly by lower class servants. However, they gradually became a staple food for the upper and middle classes as well, as attested to by the famous 19th century British children's song, "The Muffin Man."

You may also be surprised to know that "muffin man" was once an actual career. Similar to milkmen, these "muffin men" would go door to door selling their neighbors muffins to serve with their dinner or afternoon tea.

These original muffins, however, differ quite a bit from the kind you might find at your average American Starbucks. For one thing, they were typically made with yeast (as opposed to batter), were cooked first in an oven and then a griddle, and were far less sweet!

American muffins, which are baked in small tins and are much sweeter than their older cousins, probably developed because they could be made much more quickly, and were thus a better fit for busy American housewives.

Rather appropriately given the extent of the USA's obesity epidemic, the crispy tops of these American muffins eventually inspired the slang term "muffin-top," an unflattering euphemism for fat in the abdominal area that visibly spills out when an overweight person wears unflattering clothing.

In America, bread products that resemble the original muffins are generally called "English Muffins," while the Brits call our sugary concoctions "American-style" or "sweet" muffins.

Unfortunately, the processed mixes that many Americans use to make their muffins today are often packed with unhealthy ingredients, as are most muffins that are commercially sold at coffee shops, grocery stores, and fast-food joints. For example, Pillsbury's Blueberry-Flavored Muffin Mix lists as its first three ingredients bleached flour, sugar, and artificial blueberries.

That's right; these "blueberry muffins" have no blueberries in them at all! What they have instead is worrying amounts of palm oil, canola oil, and corn starch, along with mysterious "artificial flavors" and dubious food coloring agents Blue 2 Lake and Red 40 Lake.

As with most processed foods, it's better to nix typical "muffins" entirely and stick to your own healthier version. So the 123Diet is giving you a head start with these three recipes for Chicken Muffins, Simple Lentil Muffins, and Eggy Lentil Muffins!

Unlike a typical American muffin, which has next to no nutritional value, our muffins combine hearty chickpea and lentil flour and some of our favorite proteins to ensure you'll be satisfied until your next meal.

In Phase 2, you can enjoy these muffins as part of your lunch or dinner with a side of your favorite veggies, and in Phase 3 they could be an awesome breakfast option as well!

Or, if you've been missing sweeter muffins, a few recipe tweaks like subbing cheese, salt, and spices for fruit and Stevia could easily land you a wonderful brunch!