Are Muffins Plant Based?

Baked goods are often an issue for strict diet followers because something that just looks like a combination of grains and other plant-based ingredients can come out to be made up of multiple animal-based products. They are often loaded with eggs, butter, milk and animal fats and make your favourite food far from being plant-based. One such loved beloved treat is the muffin. 

So, are muffins plant based? Yes, muffins are plant based. While the primary ingredient in muffins comes mainly from plants, they often contain animal-derived ingredients and dairy. However, these ingredients can be replaced with plant-based alternatives.

And if you follow a strict plant-based diet, it is easy to find muffins that use only vegetarian ingredients. In this article, let us try to learn more about muffins, their ingredients and nutrition to help you find out whether you can eat them on a plant-based diet. 

Why Are Muffins Plant Based?

English muffins are generally made out of enriched wheat flour that makes them plant-based in the first place. Sometimes, they contain malted barley flour and cornmeal to get the right taste and texture. These are plant-based ingredients as well and don’t cause any problem.

Though most muffins contain milk products, yeast and sugar, they are added in small quantities, with whole plant based ingredients constituting a majority. Moreover, some brands use plant-based alternatives of these ingredients, making them perfect for those who follow a strict diet. 

What Are The Main Ingredients In Muffins?

The main ingredient in muffins is often wheat flour that gives them a chewy texture when baked. Other key ingredients are cornmeal, malted barley flour and sometimes rice flour. These flours are used to give the product the desired texture. 

Muffins also contain a small amount of sugar, yeast and vegetable oils. While plant-based muffins are made with plant-based additives and preservatives, regular ones have some emulsifiers, enzymes, fortified nutrients and other ingredients whose sources are sometimes unknown. 

It is, therefore, advisable to check the label for ingredients to make sure the muffins you eat fit your diet. You should also go for reputed brands that limit the use of unhealthy ingredients. Low-quality brands can add animal-derived fats and other ingredients that can ruin your fitness goals. 

Muffins Nutrition

Muffins from high-quality brands or those baked at home are ideal options when looking for a tasty treat on a plant-based diet. You can look for the options that use the healthiest ingredients to make sure they fit your diet restrictions. 

Let us look at the nutrition info for some of the most common varieties of muffins as provided by the USDA. 

Variety of Muffin	100% whole wheat	Multigrain	Oat bran
Calories	118	136	137
Carbohydrates	23g	27g	23g
Fiber	4g	2g	3g
Fat	1g	1g	3g
Sugar	5g	0g	4g
Sodium	211mg	173mg	205mg

The table lists the details for one serving of muffin which is a full muffin about 60grams. Moreover, they are the varieties supplied by high-quality brands that don’t use unhealthy fats while baking their products. 

Conclusion

So, if you are interested in adding muffins to your plant-based diet, you can surely do it. Make sure you check the ingredients list and avoid the products that contain too many chemical or animal-derived products. You can look for healthier options to keep up with your fitness goals and diet restrictions.