Baking Swaps 101
Ever wonder how you can up the nutrient content of a tasty baked good? Try these simple swaps to help boost fiber, lower fat, increase protein, and decrease sugar. Which swap will you try first?
- All-Purpose Flour → Whole Wheat Flour or Oat Flour — this swap will increase the fiber content of your baked goods without taking away from the flavor.
- Garnish with Sugar → Garnish with Zest, Nuts, Seeds, Chocolate Drizzle — this swap will help decrease the added sugar in your desserts. Try topping cookies, brownies, and pies with fresh zest, crushed nuts, or drizzle with chocolate or peanut butter.
- Margarine or Shortening → Heart Healthy Oils — this swap helps to reduce the saturated fat in your tasty treats. Canola or olive oil will increase the unsaturated fat, which improves your heart health.
- Margarine, Butter, Oil → Applesauce, Fruit Puree, Avocado — take that last swap one step further and use applesauce, fruit purees, or avocados instead of oil. This swap will decrease the overall fat content and increase nutrients, vitamins, and antioxidants when baking. But don’t worry, the flavor will not be affected.
- Sugar → Dried Fruit — this swap will reduce the total amount of sugar when baking, while keeping the sweetness consistent.
- Cream → Greek Yogurt — this swap will reduce the fat, up the protein, and maintain creaminess all at once.
- Flour → Black Beans — who would have thought this swap would work? Replacing flour with black beans will boost the protein and fiber in some yummy, chocolaty brownies.
- Artificial Dyes → Natural Dyes — this swap will make your baked goods more natural. Switch out those artificial food colorings and use natural colors from beets, blueberries, carrots, or strawberries.
Let us know what you baked!
