Ready, set, bake! It is crunch time for baking all of those delectable holiday desserts. But, you may find that you’re eating them up faster than you can cook them, adding on some extra holiday pounds.
It is acceptable to indulge a bit this time of year, but what if you could go for some “healthy indulgences” by implementing healthy ingredients. Yes, it is possible to convert some of your favorite recipes into one that is both lower in calories, but also measures high in taste.
The trick is to replace sugars, unhealthy fats, non-nutritious white flour and milk chocolate for ingredients that are lower in saturated fat and calories.
Let’s take sugar for instance. You can replace granulated sugar with the natural sweetener stevia which is made from the stevia plant.
The good news is that it is extra sweet, so you do not need as much of it as you would sugar. Stevia has some other health benefits, which can especially help diabetics. It is low on the glycemic index. Health experts also claim that it helps to balance the pancreas.
Another “sweet option” is agave which is cactus nectar. I use this quite a bit. It is also low on the glycemic index and a little bit goes a long way, just like stevia. I add it to cakes and pies all of the time and no one even notices the difference in taste.
Go back to the 70’s in the kitchen with “avocado green” and I am not talking about the color of your appliances. Cut the fat and substitute half or more of the fat in your recipe with mashed avocado.
This will make your Christmas concoctions lower in calories with the tempting moist and gooey desired texture for most dessert connoisseurs. Avocados are good for your heart, containing healthy monosaturated fat.
Unsweetened applesauce and tahini are also great alternatives to oil and butter.
I love to substitute almond meal for white flour in my recipes. This is a great way to make any baked good delicious and nutritious, especially for those who are sensitive to wheat or who cannot tolerate gluten.
I love chocolate and who doesn’t? I stay away from milk chocolate though, opting for the beneficial extra dark baking chocolate. Carob is also a great alternative to chocolate when baking.
Below is a recipe that is a Christmas favorite for me, oatmeal cookies using alternative ingredients from my Fitness Answer Meal Plan:
Delectable Oatmeal Chocolate Chips
• 1/2 cup stevia
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 avocado
• 2 Tbsp agave
• 2 cups quick oats
• 1 cup almond meal
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 3/4 cup dark chocolate chips or carob chips
• Nonstick cooking spray
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large mixing bowl, beat stevia, applesauce, avocado, and agave until well blended. In a small bowl, combine oats, flour, baking soda, and sea salt.
Gradually add dry oat mix to wet mixture and blend well. Stir in chocolate or carob chips. Spray baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Drop small dollops of mixture onto pan spacing evenly.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire rack.
Joanne Sgro is a Television Fitness Expert, Certified Personal Trainer and Sport Nutritionist. She is Certified in Pilates, Pre-natal/Post-Partum, Yoga and Senior Fitness. She specializes in Weight Loss, Post-Rehab and Post Cancer Training.
Joanne's fitness plans and recipes are available globally on her website www.fitnessanswer.com. She resides in the Phoenix, AZ area where she runs her personal training business, Fitness Answer, LLC.