Whole Story

Ava, one of our Whole Story readers, sent us this idea for a recipe makeover just in time for a Mother's Day brunch:

Blueberry Coffee Cake This recipe is very good, however it's bad for your figure and unhealthy... Can you give me a healthy look on coffee cake? 2 tbs. butter 1 box white cake mix 3 eggs 1 cup sour cream Crumb topping 1/2 cup brown sugar 1/3 cup finely chopped nuts 1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen

Coffee cake can be a sweet start to your day or an evening dessert, but the word "healthy" does not necessarily come to mind when this baked good is mentioned. We've improved the nutrition profile of this crowd-pleaser by making a few substitutions: whole wheat pastry flour in place of conventional boxed cake mix, nonfat plain yogurt instead of sour cream, and extra blueberries rather than the whole amount of sugar. Check out the recipe we developed for Blueberry Coffee Cake with Cinnamon Streusel incorporating these changes to make a healthier cake:

• Using 1 cup of whole wheat pastry flour instead of white flour adds about 12 grams of fiber to the cake. Not only do whole grains such as whole wheat flour contain additional fiber that helps promote digestive health, they also contain vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
• By using 1 cup of nonfat plain yogurt instead of a cup of sour cream, we saved about 300 calories, 45 grams of fat (26 grams of saturated fat) and 115 grams of cholesterol. In addition, 235 mg calcium and 300 mg potassium were gained with this substitution.
• We doubled the amount of blueberries in the recipe to rely more on the natural sweetness of the fruit rather than just added sugar. More is usually better with blueberries, because they are very low in calories and packed with vitamin C, fiber and antioxidants.
• Making the recipe from scratch lets you choose the spices. We used cardamom and cinnamon to complement the berries.
• We chose almonds for the nut topping, as they are the most nutrient-dense nut. A one-ounce serving (about 23 almonds) is an excellent source of vitamin E and magnesium, a good source of fiber and protein, and offers several other minerals.

A 3-ounce serving of our new cake contains 150 calories, 4 grams of fat, 3 grams of fiber, 9 grams of sugar and 5 grams of protein. Happy baking! Send us Your Recipe Request! Do you have a recipe you'd like us to make natural? Post it in the comments section below! If we select your recipe for a healthy makeover and publish the improved version on our website, we'll send you a $25 Whole Foods Market gift card.