Healthy Baking
Tips for Healthy Baking
There was a time when being healthy basically meant no baked goods, but there are healthy baking methods that make it more acceptable to eat these types of foods. Just because you want to eat healthy, does not mean you have to give up everything you love. All that is necessary is that you make sure that you use some sensible methods when you do make baked goods.
Some healthy baking tips to help you create delicious foods that are better for you.
Low Fat Can Taste Good
It is important with healthy baking to understand that light foods have a tendency to burn and get hard. This can be easily remedied by simply cooking light foods for less time. If the recipe says to cook for 30 minutes, set your timer for 26 or 27 minutes to see if this makes a difference in texture and taste. If the baked goods are still a little hard, reduce the baking time by a couple of minutes more.
Substitutes and Healthy Baking
Some quick tips for healthy baking include, using less butter for making graham cracker crust, but adding a little honey to help it stick together better. When making vegetables you don’t want to add butter or oil, instead use herbs for seasoning. Butter and oil tend to add way too many calories, as well as unneeded fat. Remember that you do need fats in your diet, but it should be vegetable fat and not animal fat. Instead of eating creamy pudding, try using olive oil, peanut butter, etc.
As apposed to using refined sugar in your healthy baking, try using commercial fruit sweeteners. There are several available and they are naturally sweet. Most of the time these sweeteners are actually sweeter than sugar, plus they are nowhere near as bad for you. Another substitute is to use bullion cubes in place of meat broth. This way you will get the hardy flavor you want, without all of the fat that is present in meat broth and stock.
As mentioned, you will always want to use a substitute for butter for healthy baking. Some ideas include using canola oil to replace the butter in recipes. For baking treats, substitute the butter with coconut or walnut oil; this works fantastically, plus gives the food a unique and delicious taste.
Instead of using eggs in your baking, try using an egg substitute. There is also the option of using bean or nut butter substitutes. This will help to cut the calories and fats in your foods by quite a lot. If a recipe calls for milk it is best to use skim milk when possible; you can also substitute the milk with products like coconut milk. Instead of using regular white flower, in healthy baking you will want to use whole-wheat flower or some other type of whole grain flour. The important thing here is that the flour not be processed like white flour is. Aside from being healthier for you, breads and other baked goods made with whole grain flour really does taste better.
Create a whole library of healthy baking recipes by going online and finding foods to try, keep the recipes for the ones you like and before long, you will have more than enough foods to ensure that everything you make is light and healthy.
Healthy baking does not have to be difficult or taste dull. There are plenty of ways you can make baked goods and other foods using substitutes, plus these foods will still taste great.