DH and I are using the old CORE program, so we are allowed very few points and I have tried my hand successfully at "fixing" lots of recipes. Here are some tips you might wish to try:

1. You can either substitute Grahams whole wheat flour for all or part of the all purpose flour, or you can put Quaker Oats (the kind that takes 5 minutes to cook) in the blender and use that as your flour

2. Substitute Splenda for the sugar

3. Use 1% or 2% milk instead of whole

4. Substitute unsweetened applesauce for the butter

I have not found a suitable substitute for chocolate chips. I am able to find sugar-free chips, but not fat free. But you might cut down on the amount to save a couple of points.

These muffins may not bake in the same amount of time, so be sure to keep an eye on them.

You can sub 1/2 cup of the oatbran for 1/2 cup of the flour....but you might need a little more milk...or water instead.
You can sub 1/2 splenda for 1/2 of the sugar....leave out half the choco chips, and I suppose you could sub apple sauce for half of the butter.
But chocolate chip muffins aren't exactly diet food!!
Linda C

I meant to also add that while you might be put off with the thought of using applesauce, in most recipes you cannot taste the applesauce. And I would think that the strong coffee flavor would mask it as well.

And while I understand that chocolate chip muffins aren't necessarily considered diet food, many people are doomed to failure because they think they must eat truly unappetizing food in order to lose weight. You might be surprised at how good some of the "good for you" recipes taste. Once of DH's favorites is a mock tapioca pudding I make using cous cous instead of tapioca.

I am not a fan of Splenda in baking only because I think it develops a bitter aftertaste after sitting around for a day or two, which is what happens with baked goods and my single household. So I would:

Use 2/3 cup sugar, 1/3 white, 1/3 brown
Sub 1/2 cup whole wheat flour for some of the white flour, (I'd start with that, maybe try more on the second batch, see how it goes with the first)
Use lofat milk cause that's all I ever have in the house.
Use two egg whites instead of the one egg
Use 1/2 cup of the mini-choc. chips. That would be plenty for me.

In terms of fiber, have you tried hi-maize?

I'm completely in love with this stuff. You substitute about a quarter of the flour in a recipe with the hi-maize and it dramatically increases the fiber and decreases the net carbs. It tastes soooo much better than whole grains. If you stick your head in the bag and sniff, it has a slight cornmeal smell, but in the finished product there's no noticeable difference in taste or texture. It's painless fiber!! I've used it in homemade pasta, muffins, yeast rolls (you have to add gluten for it to rise enough, I just successfully did these for the first time on Sunday), biscotti, cookies, etc, etc, etc. I'm not sure if it's the same seller I bought from, but I'm linking to it on Amazon, in case anyone is interested.

Not that you asked, but I'd make mini-muffins. A taste of what you want is sometimes enough. I'd rather have a little one than a bigger ersatz one..

My first thought was right there with ideefixe - make them smaller - mini-muffins, so that's what I did. These were wonderful little muffins after I "messed" with the recipe a bit.

Here's how I lowered the fat, carbs/sugars, and increased fiber.

1 c. whole wheat flour (spelt would also be a good choice)
3/4 c. Hi-Maize Resistant Starch*
1/4 c. flaxmeal
1/4 c. agave nectar**
2-1/2 t. baking powder
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. salt
1 c. milk
2 T. instant coffee granules
2 T. coconut oil (or butter)
1 egg
1 t. vanilla
1/4-1/2 c. mini chocolate chips (I used 1/4-c.)

Bake: 350°F oven 11-13-minutes. Yield: 24 mini-muffins.

Sprinkle the top with a tiny bit of cinnamon sugar after you pan the batter, OR, dust with powdered sugar after they are baked. This is a "sweet trick" when you lower the sugar in foods. That small amount of sugar hitting your tongue, as well as the sweetness in the chocolate chips, will make them seem sweeter than the amount in them would indicate.

I used a 1/4 c. flaxmeal for increased fiber and as a fat replacer. I also used coconut oil. One benefit of coconut oil is that you can generally reduce the amount of fat in a recipe by 25% just switching to coconut oil. I use several brands, but used LouAna brand for the recipe. LouAna doesn't have any coconut flavor. I get it at Wal-Mart and now I can get it at our Kroger-affiliated store, Dillons. I understand Kroger now carries it as well. You'll find it in the shortening/vegetable oil isle.

If you aren't familiar with Hi-Maize Resistant Starch, here is some information from Honeyville Grain. I add it to all my baked goods as a replacement for a portion of the flour, in my homemade pudding mix, breakfast smoothie.....

*Hi-Maize Resistant Starch (Honeyville Grain - 5#/$16.99 - S/H is $4.49 for your entire order and I generally order several things at a time from them. King Arthur Flour - 3#/$9.95 and 12-oz./$5.95 plus S/H.

Information about Hi-Maize from Honeyville Grain:

Just 15 grams of Hi-maize (about 1 heaping tablespoon) contains 9 grams of total dietary fiber, which is more than the fiber in 1/3 cup of high bran cereal and twice as much as the fiber contained in 1 cup of oatmeal.

1. Hi-maize is lower in calories than the flour it replaces. Hi-maize delivers between 2-l kilocalories/gram while flour delivers 4 kilocalories/gram. Hi-maize also helps your body burn more fat and may lead to lower fat accumulation.

2. Hi-maize helps maintain healthy blood sugar levels in healthy individuals because Hi-maize increases insulin sensitivity in healthy people.

3. Hi-maize helps balance your energy in the hours following a meal. It has a lower impact in blood sugar and blood insulin than the flour it replaces. For individuals following a "carbohydrate-control" diet, it lowers the "net" or digestible carbohydrates in foods.

4. Hi-maize promotes digestive health. The fiber in Hi-maize is fermented within the large intestine and encourages the growth of friendly bacteria (a "prebiotic" fiber). It reduces harmful compounds such as ammonia, while producing beneficial compounds such as short-chain fatty acids like butyrate, the preferred fuel for colon cells. Hi-maize is ideal for use in a gluten-free diet.

5. Hi-maize is well tolerated. It is slowly fermented and does not produce the uncomfortable digestive side effects sometimes found with fiber.

Hi-Maize nutrition per 28g:
40 calories
0 fat
0 cholesterol
15mg sodium
15g carbohydrates
15g dietary fiber
0 sugars
0 protein

**Agave Nectar - a natural, honey-like sweetener that is one of the lowest foods on the Glycemic Index of Foods. It doesn't raise blood sugar, BUT, it acts like sugar in baking, contributes to fermentation in yeast breads, browns, unlike chemical sweeteners. I generally use 1/2-3/4 c. agave nectar for each 1 c. sugar.

-Grainlady

I agree with most above.

I have found that using part real sugar and part Splenda drastically reduces the aftertaste.

You can easily cut the total sweetener back as lpink said.
I'd use 1/3 Splenda, 1/3 sugar.

You can sub plain, FF yogurt for the egg as well.
or Egg beaters (or whites only as mentioned).

FF milk is an easy one.
I'd probably live dangerously and use half whole wheat flour and increase the baking powder just a tad.

Please let us know what you try and how they turned out!

I am another "old CORE" follower and believe small treats, tasty food and common sense is what helps me stick with it!!

Deanna

Thanks everyone. DH as lost 15 lbs so far and I really want to reward him with a morning "treat". Years ago I used to buy a cappuccino muffin at my work cafeteria each morning -- they were wonderful but I can't forget the "grease ring" they left on the paper towel!

I think on my first try I will knock the sugar down to 2/3 C -- I have never bought Splenda and don't really want to (for no particular reason). I will also sub some WW flour and use Egg Beaters (love them! they usually work great in baking). Also cut back the choc chips to 1/2 C. I might also try subbing half of the 1/2 C butter with non-fat yogurt.

Will post in a few days how these came out!

Jessica - Just a note that buying direct from Honeyville saves you $4.30 off the price on your Amazon link. Same shipping.

Thanks, FOAS! I just ran out, and will order from Honeywell.

Hope they don't send you a thermostat. ;)

stir_fryi, I was just wondering how those muffins came out.

I also think I'd sub yogurt for the butter, and cut the sugar down. Not only does Splenda have an aftertaste, it does affect the texture of baked goods.

I'd use half whole wheat flour without batting an eye and if you use those mini chips, I find you don't use as many and still get a good chocolate flavor.

Skim or low fat milk, of course.

I might even toss in a tablespoon or two of ground flax seed, in place of a little whole wheat flour, and you could make all those changes without buying any additional or unusual ingredients.

However, I don't think I'd make all those changes at once. I'd go with the yogurt and skim milk first, or with half whole wheat and half all purpose flour and less sugar, and see how that goes. Sometimes one thing will work and another won't and if I toss a whole bunch of changes at a recipe it's sometimes hard to figure out which one didn't work.

Annie