Credit: Catherine Jeans, DipION, functional nutritional therapist | www.thefamilynutritionexpert.com | @catherine_jeans

Catherine says: "This is a recipe I designed for a local school that specialises in supporting children with diverse SEND needs [special educational needs and disabilities]. The recipe sneaks in healthy fats and veggies for a brain supporting nutrient boost, and is also nut free, so ideal for lunchboxes too."  

Makes 10 cup cake size muffins

Ingredients

• 125g wholemeal flour
• 50g rolled oats
• 50g brown sugar
• 30g ground seeds (or can be whole)
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp salt (a large pinch)
• 3 eggs
• 2 tbsp honey or maple syrup
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 2 mashed bananas
• 150g grated carrot (approx. 2 large or 4 small)
• 50g raisins or sultanas
• 1 tsp granulated brown sugar (for sprinkling)

Method 

1. Preheat the oven to 160C fan.
2. Mix all the dry ingredients together - i.e. flour, oats, sugar (leave the extra teaspoon of sugar for the end), seeds, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt. 
3. In a separate bowl, mix all the wet ingredients together and beat well – i.e. eggs, honey, oil, mashed bananas. 
4. Tip the wet ingredients into the dry and stir well.
5. Stir in the carrots and raisins.
6. Pour the mixture into muffin cases or silicon muffin trays and sprinkle each muffin with the remaining sugar.
7. Bake for about 18 to 20 minutes until bouncy to touch, and a skewer inserted comes out clean.

For a gluten-free version, use gluten-free flour or ½ gluten-free flour, ½ ground almonds.

Catherine Jeans is a functional nutritional therapist, supporting children and adults of all ages with digestive health, hormone balance, weight management, stress relief and neurodiversity. She heads up a clinic team of nutritional therapists at The Family Nutrition Expert; their ethos is to empower clients towards a lifetime of good health, using simple, everyday food and lifestyle changes.