By ANDY KRESS
Cakes, cookies and desserts have been part of the American diet for years and are definitely here to stay. These treats are great tasting and full of quick energy when eaten in small sensible amounts. A well-balanced healthy diet consists of having an occasional treat and not denying those inner desires. Note the word “occasional.” Unfortunately, most Americans tend to consume more than the recommended serving when it comes to these sweet and tasty delicacies, as well as having them a little more often than they should.
There can be many major health repercussions from having one too many of these little sweets. Diabetes usually tops the chart, followed by high cholesterol and heart problems. Next comes obesity – a BIG problem, as well as tooth decay. They don’t call it a “sweet tooth” for nothing. Many cakes, cookies and pastries are very high in calories and low in nutritional values making the body deficient of nutrients when trying to use the energy from these foods for fuel.
Most of the moistness of cakes, cookies and pastries comes from their fat. The trick is to cut down the fat and sugar and still not lose the texture or consistency. There are many ways that you can enhance the flavor and taste of your favorite recipe with a few healthy alternatives just added in, or in place of.
Next time you are in the kitchen, try using applesauce, strained bananas or strained prunes for a healthy substitute for some of the fat in that favorite recipe of yours. The fruit will keep the moisture, as well as contribute added sweetness and flavor to spice things up. Also reducing the amount of sugar added into the ingredients by replacing it with cinnamon or other spices can add new flavor to perk up those taste buds. Lower the gluten content by using a rice crust; it will give your dessert a delicious and extra flaky texture. A low-fat graham cracker crust is another great alternative to the usual butter crust, reducing calories and adding in much more nutrition. Discarding half the yolk and substituting egg whites adds extra protein and reduces the cholesterol in cakes and cookies making them a more nutritious snack. Also substituting condensed skim milk in place of the usual heavy cream in most of your frostings helps reduce calories without losing flavor.
Fruit glazes and fruit sauces make a great topping for the top of those cakes, cookies and pastries too, while reducing the calories and fat content. Oatmeal and dried fruit will up the nutritional content of any cake, cookie or pastry as a replacement for nuts and other high fat or sugar ingredients, so don’t be afraid to throw a handful in the next time you are baking. Fresh berries offer another alternative to dried fruit to drop even more calories and add lots of fresh taste everyone will enjoy.
Fat-free cream cheese is another smart and healthy way to knock down the fat content and calories of your favorite cheese cake recipe without losing the texture and consistency.
Sugar substitutes add sweetness and satisfy cravings with far less calories. The main artificial sweeteners are Aspertame and Saccharin that are particularly helpful for those suffering from diabetes who have to limit their sugar intake. Artificial sweeteners can be up to 60 times sweeter than sugar weight for weight, leaving far less calories cup for cup in your favorite new healthy recipe.
Using these tricks of the trade will not only help you slim your waistline, but will also allow you to enjoy those sweet treats with a lot less guilt. As always, don’t be afraid to get creative and experiment with new things while you are cooking, because the next new mouth-watering sensation could be coming right out of your very own healthy kitchen.
