The Nutritional Advantages of Molasses

Molasses Muesli cookies, recipe below



During the antebellum period, most southern elites considered molasses a coarse food fit only for slaves. The irony is that this snobbish and racist view deprived them of the nutritional advantages of molasses. Sugar is full of empty calories while molasses is rich in minerals and vitamins. For instance, two teaspoons of blackstrap molasses provides 13.3% of the daily recommended value for iron, 14.0% of the daily recommended value for copper, 18.0% of the daily recommended value for manganese, and 9.7% of the daily recommended value for potassium. Molasses is also high in calcium, a necessity for strong bones and teeth, blood clotting, and the transmission of nerve impulses to and from the brain. Calcium also removes toxins from the colon, thus reducing the risk of colon cancer. Molasses is an excellent source of copper which helps in the healthy development of bone and connective tissue. Manganese-rich molasses is essential to the healthy functioning of the nervous system and contains potassium that assists in proper muscle contraction and nerve transmission. Finally, molasses is rich in vitamins B-1, B-2, B-6, and vitamin E. Here is an excellent molasses Muesli cookie recipe:

Molasses Muesli Cookie Recipe

Ingredients

1 banana

1/4 cup molasses

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 cup spelt or whole wheat flour

1 cup muesli cereal

1 sp baking soda

1 tsp ginger

1.5 tsp cinnamon



Method

Mash the banana and stir together with the molasses, honey and sugar. Add the spices and baking soda, then the flour, mixing well. Stir in the muesli. Drop rounded teaspoons onto greased baking sheets. Bake at 350F for about 8 minutes. Makes 24 cookies