Fall Into Baking this Season
By Eva Sorrentino, MS, RD, LD, Portneuf
There is nothing more comforting than the sweet aroma of your favorite fall treat fresh from the oven. Many of us look forward to treats and sweets this time of year but are still trying to eat healthily. The good news is that you can easily boost the nutrition of baked goods with a few simple switches.
Here are some tips to help reduce the fat and sugar in your treats and add more vitamins and protein:
- Add shredded apples, carrots, banana, pumpkin, squash, or applesauce to breads and cookies for added flavor and moisture.
- Use pumpkin puree instead of oil in pumpkin bread or mashed banana in banana bread
- Try whole wheat or whole wheat white flour for white flour. Other flours like almond flour and chickpea flour can also add nutrients like fiber and protein.
- Use low-fat dairy products such as skim milk, low-fat or fat-free yogurt and Greek yogurt. These are great sources of calcium and protein.
- Use healthy fats. Try swapping some of the butter for oils like olive oil and vegetable oils instead of solid fats like butter or lard to reduce saturated fats.
- Reduce sugar. As a general rule, you can reduce sugar in most recipes by 25%. Using fruit purees adds natural sugar so you may not need to add as much sugar if you are using purees.
- Use high-quality ingredients like vanilla beans instead of extract, fresh spices for boldest flavors and high-quality chocolate for satisfying a craving.
Soft Molasses Cookies
¼ cup butter ¼ cup applesauce ¾ cup white sugar 1 egg 1/3 cup molasses 2 cups whole wheat flour ½ tsp salt ½ tsp baking soda 1 tsp cinnamon 2 tsp ground ginger ½ tsp nutmeg ¼ tsp ground clove
Combine butter, sugar and mix in egg, molasses and applesauce until well combined. I a separate bowl, combine all dry ingredients. Mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients. Chill dough in the fridge for 1 hour. Roll into 1 inch balls and bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Yield 36.