Nothing smells and tastes better than scrumptious, mouth-watering home baked goods just out of the oven. Whether it is a special dessert for guests, after school snack or munchies, everyone loves home baked treats. Cookies, cakes, desserts don’t have to break the “fat budget” and can fit into a sensible diet once in awhile. I believe recipes are meant to be modified, so why not make them a little more “heart healthy”. Try these simple guidelines when preparing home baked goods, to create a healthy yet tasty choice!
– Fruit is always the best dessert choice. Make crisps, cobblers or one-crust pies (or try cookie crumb crusts). Make a “mile high” fruit pie with apples, berries or a combination of the two. Top with a dollop of frozen yogurt. Top an angel food cake with fresh berries or fruit compote – if you don’t want to make the cake from scratch then use a mix or buy one from the bakery!
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– Home baked taste from a box! Use a cake mix, reduce the amount of added water by 25% and add a mashed up ripe banana for a home baked twist.
– Use soft tub margarine or canola oil in baking instead of butter – the saturated fat content will be reduced significantly. Canola oil is high in monounsaturated fats, low in saturated fat and contains omega-three fats – all of which are good for the heart!
– A rule of thumb: for 1 loaf or 12 muffins you really only need ¼ cup oil and ¼ cup plain low-fat yogurt. You can usually cut the fat in half and add yogurt, applesauce or fruit puree to make up the difference.
– Use low fat yogurt, buttermilk and dairy products in place of high fat choices.
– Boost the fiber content- you can use half whole wheat and half white flour without changing the texture.
– Limiting your dietary cholesterol intake then use 2 egg whites for 1 whole egg. You can buy liquid egg whites in cartons at the grocery store.
– Use natural sugar to sweeten your treats – add dried fruit such as cranberries, cherries, raisins, chopped apricots or dates to cookies and reduce the amount of added sugar. The fibre content will be higher as well.
– Cocoa powder is virtually fat free – use instead of chocolate in baking. If you are set on chocolate chip cookies then remember a small handful of chips goes a long way to add flavor.
When having a decadent treat remember half the portion has half the fat and calories, so go for the small piece or share with a friend!
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