Baked goods can be some of the tastiest and most soul-nourishing food one could ever whip up in a kitchen. However, they can also be some of the unhealthiest too, with many of the tastier recipes calling for calorie-heavy ingredients like butter, heavy cream, and lots of sugar. Indulging ourselves too much in them can not only result in thicker waistlines but also quite a few health issues down the road. As such, it’s in our best interests to find ways to make baking a much healthier style of cooking. To help you along, we’ve assembled some easy tips you can try out for your own.
Use dairy milk alternatives
Many tasty baked goods call for cow’s milk as one of the main ingredients. However, if you’re trying to avoid saturated fats from whole milk, you can also bake using plant milk alternatives such as milked almonds and other nuts. Almond milk, for instance, works just as well as whole milk while also imbuing baked goods with a tastier, nuttier flavor.
Bake your own bread with less salt
It may not be common knowledge, but as it turns out, two slices of store-bought bread can have as much salt as a bag of potato chips. It depends from brand to brand, for sure, but that is a possibility that may wreak havoc on your health—especially on your heart and kidneys. To prevent this, bake your own bread with only a teaspoon or less of salt per 500 grams of flour.
Swap out butter for unsaturated oils or spreads
While the word ‘fat’ alone can trigger many health alarms, it’s long since been discovered that a bit of fat every now and then is actually good for overall health, with unsaturated fat being the more beneficial type rather than the saturated fat variants. So when your cake recipe calls for butter, use rapeseed or sunflower oil instead. Not only does this make your baked goods that much healthier, but it’ll also give them a lighter and moistier texture as well.
Use wholegrain flour instead of white flour
Wholegrain flour can be difficult to work with, and it gives your baked goods a much denser texture. However, the health benefits of wholegrain flour balance these particular cons out. Using wholegrain flour in your baked goods drastically increases the fiber content, making each bite much more filling and satisfying. As a bonus, it also gives the final product a slightly nutty aftertaste.
Add some fruits in your baked goods
Fruits are some of the healthiest things you can ever snack on, so why not add them to your baking to give your breads and pastries a health boost? And we’re not just talking about flavors or extracts. Actual pieces of fruits, like slices of apple, berries, oranges, and even mangoes—can be used on a whole host of goodies. They’re great for keeping your baked desserts moist as well as adding some delicious flavor and texture. Just remember to use fresh fruit, not the canned ones loaded with added sugars and preservatives.
Baked goods can be some of the most calorie- and sugar-dense foods in the culinary world, but they don’t have to be that way all the time. By taking these five tips to heart, you can easily make your baking a lot healthier on your waistline as well as your wallet. Just remember that for whatever you consume, it’s always ideal to do it in moderation. The healthiest food can still affect your health negatively if you eat too much of it!
