7 Magic Tricks to Making Healthier Baked Goods

From Desi at  Unconvetional Kitchen

Here are seven easy “magic tricks” to give your baked goods a healthy makeover. You will love knowing that not only are your treats healthier, but they are tasty too.

1. When a recipe calls for white flour replace it with the equal amount of soft white wheat flour. Soft white wheat has a milder flavor than the traditional red wheat flour that you buy in the grocery store, but it is every bit as nutritious. You can also replace white flour with kamut or spelt, but I prefer soft white wheat because it is the easiest and most inexpensive to find.

2. When your recipe calls for white sugar replace it with an equal amount of sucanat, coconut sugar, or turbinado. You can even make your own powdered sugar by blending any of those sweeteners mentioned above until finely powdered. If you add a little bit of cornstarch, it will work the same as powdered sugar in your recipe. If you use a liquid sweetner like honey, maples syrup, or agave, you will add an extra ¼-1/3 cup of flour to the recipe to compensate for the extra liquid. Or you can substitute 2-3 tablespoons of chia and flax as well. The chia or flax helps to soak up some of the excess moisture form the liquid sweetener, and the baked goods turn out really yummy with the bonus of added nutrition.

3. When your recipe calls for vegetable oil, margarine, shortening, or canola oil, replace it with butter or coconut oil. Coconut oil is the best option because it has the same consistency as shortening and butter so it is very easy to substitute. If a recipe calls for a cup, add ¾ cup. Adding just a little bit less coconut oil than what the recipe calls for works the best in baked goods. If you don’t want the coconut oil flavor in your baked goods, you can use a more processed version of it that doesn’t have any flavor. This is still a better option than many other oils because coconut oil doesn’t create trans-fats when processed with high heat. If you choose to substitute with liquid oils, just make sure you melt it first so you are measuring it correctly when substituting.

4. Keep aluminum-free baking powder on hand. Aluminum has been linked with causing Alzheimer’s along with many other problems. Aluminum is commonly found in commercial baking powder, so I recommend Rumford brand. It is aluminum free and can be found in most grocery stores.

5. Use only organic, free-range eggs for a good balance of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids. Have you ever noticed that fresh eggs have a golden yolk instead of a pale, yellow yolk? The reason why is because the chicken was allowed to eat plants. The rich golden color comes from beta-carotene, which comes from plants. A chicken’s diet that is natural and includes grazing on plants produces eggs that have higher omega-3’s and less omega-6’s. Our diet today has WAY too many omega-6’s from processed foods and causes a lot of health problems because of it.

6. Use sea salt (which is FULL of minerals) rather than processed salt (which is stripped of ALL nutrition). Did you know salt is essential to your body? Salt acts as a conductor for the electric impulses between our nerves and our brain. It also keeps our blood volume at proper levels and balances the water levels around cells and tissue. It prevents dehydration and improves the body’s absorption of potassium as well. Replace white processed salt with sea salt, it’s a simple switch with HUGE benefits.

7. Replace some of the oil or butter in a recipe for applesauce or yogurt. This works really well with quick breads, muffins, waffles, cakes, and even brownies. This doesn’t work as well for cookies, unless they are pumpkin cookies or a more cake-like cookie. I usually do half applesauce/half coconut oil or butter when I am substituting.

Making these simple changes to your favorite recipes GREATLY improves the nutrition and makes it so you can feel good about the treats you are eating!