Simple Substitutions: Baking Edition

    Everyone loves preparing and snacking on homemade treats– but they all seem to be so unhealthy, with too much sugar and too few nutrients! There are some simple substitutions that can be made in order to maintain the same delicious foods while reducing the calories, fat, or sugar. Now these switches certainly won’t make those cookies and pies healthy, but when you’re baking that occasional batch of cookies, every little bit helps!

Eggs → Egg Whites
    If your goal is to reduce fat or calorie intake, try switching out each egg for two egg whites (or a ¼ cup of egg substitute). Skipping the fat from the yolk and doubling the protein-rich egg whites can save 60 calories per substituted egg!

White Flour → Whole-wheat Flour
    Switching one cup of white flour for whole-wheat flour adds 10 grams of fiber to your cookies! Due to the coarser grains of whole-wheat flour, try a half-and-half mix and play around with the proportions to best fit the specific recipe. If you’re not a fan of whole grain flour, white whole-wheat flour (as opposed to the red wheat that is used in most flours) is lighter and finer– without sacrificing that extra punch of fiber– making the substitution almost undetectable.

Sugar → Agave Nectar
    Agave Nectar has a lower glycemic index value than sugar, meaning it won’t cause as large of a blood sugar spike. Also, due to its sweeter taste, it doesn’t require as much to create the same sweet flavor– use about 3/4ths of the volume of sugar that the recipe calls for.

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