Diets & Bran Muffins

Bran muffins have diet history. The New England Recipes websites mentions a 1907 book, "Cookery for the Sick," featuring bran muffins not unlike those you're likely to see today. Bran muffins appeared even earlier, in 1857, made with yeast, and bran biscuits arrived in 1904. The 1970s ushered in the bran muffin craze, according to the Bran Muffins website, and 1990s research on oat bran's dietary benefits catalyzed a bran-muffin renaissance.

The Specifics on Bran

Bran comprises 14 percent of a kernel of grain, according to the Montana Wheat and Barley Committee. Bran contains protein for tissue growth and repair; vitamins E, B1, B2 and B3, and folic acid for normal metabolic processes; calcium and zinc for bone and immunity support; and insoluble fiber for digestive health and cholesterol control. The Mayo Clinic recommends that men get 30 to 38 grams of fiber daily, and that women get 21 to 25 g.

Nutritive Values for 100-Gram Wheat Bran Muffin

Referencing accurate numbers is helpful for diets. The U.S. Department of Agriculture calculates that 100 grams of wheat bran muffin includes 7 g of protein, 12 g of fat and 73 g of carbohydrate. Niacin, iron and manganese are present in bran, so all bran muffins would contain these compounds. Even cinnamon, a flavorful and ubiquitous spice in bran muffins, helps moderate blood-glucose levels, the American Diabetes Association reports.

Homemade Wheat Bran Muffins

Making your own bran muffins allows for ingredient and calorie control. The Cook Eat Share website provides no fewer than seven apple bran muffin recipes alone, each recipe yielding muffins weighing 40 to 45 g each, with 125 to 150 calories, 2 to 4 g of protein, 5 to 7 g of fat and 18 to 25 g of carbohydrate. The fiber content is 2 to 4 g, about equal to a 1/2-cup of all-bran cereal. Substituting equal amounts of applesauce for shortening reduces fat content to almost zero --- but heart-healthy fats help control appetite and contribute essential fatty acids, so add 1/4-cup of walnuts or heart-healthy canola oil instead of shortening.

Oat Bran Muffins

Oat bran is famous for its soluble fiber's ability to mop up low-density lipoproteins, or "bad" cholesterol, from the blood and to preserve levels of the high-density lipoproteins, or "good" cholesterol. Oat bran also contains insoluble fiber, like wheat bran, supporting digestive and excretory health. Both brans have been touted as colon-cancer fighters --- though some studies refute the claims, calling for further research. The Mayo Clinic lists one medium oat bran muffin as having 5.2 g fiber but notes, of course, that the term "medium" varies from place to place. Homemade oat bran muffins would approximate wheat bran versions, weighing around 40 to 45 g each.

Restaurant Bran Muffins

Restaurant muffins often dwarf homemade muffins, tipping the scales anywhere from 100 to 300 g. If a homemade muffin weighs about 45 g and has 125 to 150 calories, restaurant muffins could pack some 250 to 400 calories. Ask for information, or guess; an 8-oz. cup of coffee or water weighs 227 g, so test the muffin's heft yourself.