Have you ever tried to use a substitute in your baking and your cookies turned out hard as rocks, your cakes tasted like cardboard, or your breakfast muffins went straight in the trash? I have tried to make the swap and have significantly failed! If you’ve ever seen me in the kitchen you would know, I’m not the most skilled baker or chef.
I like to stick with un-complicated and this blog is all about the correct way to make the healthy switch! Just in time for your 4th of July food preparation! When I do it right, I like sneak healthy substitutions in and not tell anyone until they devoured the whole plate of healthy goods. It’s how I show my family a little healthy love.
I’ve brought in a wonderful guest today to share with you some amazing tips on healthy substitutes for your baking. With these tips, you won’t have to experiment and fail over and over. Your healthy baked goods will turn out perfect, the first time. Let me introduce Debbie Hatch! She is an amazing fitness professional with a passion for mindset, health, fitness, nutrition and family values. She is the creator of Family & F.I.T., a health and wellness online coaching community. In the online space she is teaching women (and men) to un-complicate their nutrition, develop a body positive image and improve their overall health throughout, and in spite of, life’s challenges.
Debbie Hatch | Family & F.I.T.
1 July 2015
Rarely, I mean very rarely, do I ever use a recipe as it’s written. I just like to get creative in the kitchen. I use a lot of substitutions to try to lower the fat and calories of recipes without impacting taste or texture. Here are some of the things that I routinely do.
I. SUGAR
Sugar has been given a bad rep in recent years but it actually performs many important roles in baking. Of course it adds sweetness but it also provides moisture, since it liquefies and caramelizes as it bakes. Did you know that it is sugar that helps cookies spread during baking?
Honestly, many of the sugar substitutes out there are worse than using regular sugar! There is a ton of debate about which one is better, what their health concerns are, etc. appears to be the best artificial option because it’s hundreds of times sweeter than sugar so you only need a tiny bit. It doesn’t impact insulin and doesn’t have a lot of the concerns of SPLENDA. TRUVIA, advertised as a “stevia-based” sweetener although it contains negligible amounts of stevia, has also become quite popular. Oh, ya, please be aware that brown sugar is not healthier either. Many people think that. In fact, brown sugar is just white sugar with molasses added!
To be honest, in my quest to not villainize any food (I, personally believe moderation is the key!) I will typically decrease the amount of SUGAR being used rather than use a substitute. I have found that I can use 2/3 or 1/2 the sugar in most recipes and still end up with plenty of sweetness without affecting the quality of the product at all.
You can substitute HONEY, AGAVE, or FRESH MAPLE SYRUP. Don’t try to do it by volume though: 1 cup of honey does not equal 1 cup of sugar. Instead, weigh it. 100 grams of honey does equal 100 grams of sugar.
II. OIL and/or BUTTER
For stovetop cooking, using 1 tbsp olive, coconut, or safflower oil mixed with broth works perfectly. I have a MISTO which I fill with olive oil myself vice paying $3+ per can for Pam or some other cooking spray. If you’re interested, you can get yours here.
When baking, I typically substitute fruit.
¾ cup UNSWEETENED APPLESAUCE and ¼ cup FRUIT PUREE (pumpkin, carrot, or banana typically) replaces 1 cup of oil. If you are using applesauce in a recipe that requires all-purpose flour be aware that you will often get better results if you use pastry flour instead.
Replace half of the butter called for in your recipe, with mashed AVOCADO. Avocado makes baked goods softer and chewier. They also make protein shakes thick and creamy and are great in a salad. I promise you, the avocado doesn’t change the taste – it just makes the texture awesome. Try it once before you discount it. You might be surprised!
Speaking of salad, less oil and more VINEGAR or fresh LEMON/LIME JUICE offer tasty options. I love the Quirky citrus spritzer. It’s less than $3 and you can find it here
Replace half of the butter, canola or coconut oil in your recipe with plain GREEK YOGURT.
Be aware that fat increases flavor.
– Did you see that Celebrity Apprentice episode where one team was making low fat pies and forgot this very important point? Their pie didn’t fare so well.
Here’s a link to spoilers from that episode is you’re interested in some mindless, fun, reading http://www.realitytea.com/2015/01/05/celebrity-apprentice-recap-kevin-jonas-can-tweet-can/
So, back to my point. Fat increases flavor so when you’re cooking with less fat, be sure to add some SPICES (1 tsp is normally sufficient) for enhancement. Cinnamon (and derivatives) and extracts (less is more with those!) work well for almost everything I’m making.
III. WHITE FLOUR
When it comes to substituting flour, it’s important to consider what you’re making. ALMOND, BARLEY, COCONUT, or OAT FLOUR is great for sweet items, like cookies, muffins, and cake. If you are using these gluten free flours, it’s a good idea to add 2 ½ tsp baking powder per cup of flour to keep a good consistency. Bob’s Red Mill makes every one of these flours and I typically have 4 or 5 different kinds in my cupboard. I also like the Arrowhead Mills company.
BROWN RICE FLOUR is more granular but allows piecrust, breads, crackers, pizza crust, and the like to get crispy. QUINOA FLOUR is gluten free, too, and works well in pancakes, muffins, cookies, cakes, etc. It also adds protein. BUCKWHEAT FLOUR works well in pancakes, waffles, and pasta as does corn meal. GARBANZO FLOUR makes an ideal substitute for crepes, flat bread, muffins and breads. It also adds protein. When experimenting flours, you may want to do so in stages. If a recipe calls for a cup of white flour, try a quarter-cup of a whole-grain flour and three-quarters cup white. Next time, do half and half. This will ensure that the whatever you’re making with the substitution still tastes “right” to your palate.
Speaking of protein, many times I will substitute ½, or more, of the flour with PROTEIN POWDER. Egg protein is my favorite with a blend being a close second. Whey can make things a little waxy and casein has a weird consistency.
IV. Eggs
I love eggs and they are a great source of protein, as well as healthy fat. I eat several every day. If I don’t want or need the fat though, I will substitute 2 EGG WHITES for 1 whole egg.
Unfortunately, many people are allergic to eggs. Here are some options for substitution.
¼ cup silken tofu. Process in a blender until completely smooth and creamy.
1/3 cup applesauce OR ¼ cup applesauce + 1 tsp baking powder
¼ cup yogurt
1 tbsp ground flax seeds +3 tbsp water
3 tbsp pureed fruit
Wellness Today has some tasty eggless breakfast recipes. Here’s one of my favs:
LEMON CHIA SEE MUFFINS
Preheat oven to 400.
Prep 8 standard muffin cups and set aside.
Mix together
1 ½ cups flour 1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda ½ tsp salt
Combine
½ cup olive oil (try ¼ cup & ¼ cup applesauce)
½ cup sugar (try 1/3 cup) 2/3 cup lemon Greek yogurt
Juice and zest from one lemon
…and then add
1 egg (or 2 egg whites) 1 tsp vanilla
Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, stirring until just combined.
Fold in 2 tbsp chia seeds
Add batter to muffin tins. Bake for 13-15 minutes, until muffins are golden on top and a toothpick comes out clean after inserting it into a few muffins. Cool. Enjoy
Oh, and here’s what I made today while I was writing this – you could say as a way to “prove my point”
VEGAN CHOCOLATE CRANBERRY ZUCCHINI BREAD
No eggs, very little oil, no white flour, no sugar.
Very chocolatey and moist
Preheat oven to 350.
In food processor, shred 1 med-large zucchini (the one I used weighed 154 grams) and 1 banana.
Mix together ¼ cup garbanzo bean flour, ¼ cup oat flour, and
¼ cup Hershey’s baking cocoa 1 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp baking powder Dash of salt
½ tsp cinnamon ¼ tsp allspice
Melt coconut oil. I used only 1/8 cup. Mix with one small jar Gerber carrots (you can grind your own – I love the convenience of cooking with baby food because it’s cheap, already pureed, and contains nothing by carrots and water).
Mix everything together and toss in 1/3 – 1/2 cup dried cranberries or raisins. Bake 40-50
minutes.
The face you’ll make after trying these recipes!
I hope you enjoyed this blog! I know I am heading in to the kitchen to try and recreate these wonderful treats! I’m so happy to have Debbie on my blog to share all this fantastic Eat Well information with use. My favorite quote from Debbie is “Triumph is the result of action! It IS possible.” Check her out on Facebook at Family & F.I.T. or at her website www.familynfit.com
Resources:
http://whole30.com/downloads/whole30-sugar.pdf
http://authoritynutrition.com/stevia/