Healthy baking may seem like the world’s most complex oxymoron.
When we hear the word healthy, we think of feeling fit, strength, vegetables, and diets. But with baking we imagine flour, butter, cakes, cookies, and breads. All of which contradict the word “healthy”.
But what if I told you that you can enjoy tasty, deliciously baked goods that made you feel healthier?
With these simple baking tips you can easily add more nutrition to your favorite recipes all the while feeling your best!
How to get started
When it comes to boosting your health in the kitchen, especially with baking, the best thing you can do is swap out ingredients with poor nutritional value for those with added health benefits.
Now I’m not saying you need to recreate chocolate chip cookies and make them broccoli-chip cookies. That would just be weird and unnecessary.
Although, now I’m curious as to how bad that would actually taste.
But anyhowwww.
What I actually mean is, swap out things that you feel are negatively affecting your health for things that are more beneficial to your well-being.
Now this doesn’t mean you need to give up on the things you enjoy most.
In fact, your physical health is just as important as your mental health. And taking away the things we love to indulge in won’t make us feel our best.
Luckily for you there are a few other ways to increase nutritional density without stripping your favorite recipes of what you enjoy most.
These simple changes will not only impact how you feel. They can also add tons of depth and flavor to your baking.
Let’s see what you can swap out for your next recipe!
Change the flour you are using
One of the biggest steps you can take towards improving your health is throwing out that bag of all purpose flour in your cabinet and purchasing a grain miller.
That may seem a bit over dramatic, but it’s all for good reason.
Switching to freshly milled flour can make ALL the difference in the foods you’re baking at home.
You could add 40 out of the 44 daily essential nutrients you need just by switching out your flour.
Some of the major ones being,
- Protein
- Fiber
- Iron
- Magnesium
- Phosphorus
- Zinc
- Copper
- Manganese
- Selenium
- B Vitamins
Freshly milled flour can also save you money and add sooo much flavor.
To find out more on freshly milled flour and what you need to start, check out Why You Need to Mill Your Own Fresh Flour.
Quit the Sugar
Ok, ok, pump the brakes. Yes, I did just say “quit the sugar”. But that doesn’t mean you need to remove sugar or the sweet factor from your recipes.
What I actually mean is quit the complex sugars.
Sucrose, what you know most commonly as table sugar, is a disaccharide. AKA complex sugar. Our bodies need to break this sugar into singular sugars (monosaccharides) in order to absorb it.
Switching to artificial sweeteners may seem like the better choice but these can actually be worse for you. Synthetic sugars like aspartame or sucralose have been known to influence glucose levels and increase cardiovascular disease.
Instead, try substituting table sugar for something a little more robust like honey.
Honey is an excellent source of glucose, a simple sugar that your body can readily absorb. Glucose not only tastes just as sweet as table sugar, but it acts as a quick source of energy and regulates our mood.
Honey contributes so many health benefits that table sugar lacks. It’s an antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and a pre-biotic. Its also been known to lower the glycemic index to regulate blood sugar, and lower cholesterol to promote heart health.
Antioxidant flavonoids present in honey like chrysin and gallic acid are even capable of reducing anxiety.
Honey may just be the sweetener you’re missing out on.
Reduce the unhealthy by supplementing the healthy
So what about other ingredients?
Let’s go back to the chocolate chip/broccoli chip cookies. Chocolate chips most certainly do not fall into the social definition of healthy. They are packed with complex sugar, saturated fats, and stabilizers. BUT if you’re not willing to give up chocolate chips (or substitute with veggies, said no one ever), I COMPLETELY understand.
Health isn’t just about your physical well-being. It’s about your mental wellness as well. Focus on what’s reasonable to you.
If broccoli isn’t a reasonable substitute (as it shouldn’t be) for chocolate chips, then don’t remove them. Giving up the things we love won’t make our minds feel better.
Instead, simply reduce their quantity and supplement with healthier alternatives. With chocolate chips you can easily pair them with nuts or fruits.
Nuts are an excellent source of healthy unsaturated fats, omega 3’s, protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals. Incorporating them whether they’re roughly chopped or whole will create a brand new flavor profile. If your recipe calls for 2 cups of chocolate chips, you can reduce to 1 cup and replace the other with nuts.
Fruits on the other hand can be a bit tricky. If you’ve added fresh fruits to cookies before you may have encountered a soggy bottom.
Although fresh fruits are packed full of nutrients, they carry too much water and add unwanted hydration to your recipes.
Opt for dried or freeze dried fruits instead. Both retain almost the same amount of beneficial vitamins and minerals as fresh fruit and contain just as much fiber.
Whether you decide to add dried fruits, chopped nuts or both, you get to choose what’s best for your health.
If you need help troubleshooting your chocolate chip cookie recipe check out, Avoid Hard Cookies: How to Make Perfectly Soft Cookies.
A Dash of spice makes everything Nice
Fruits and nuts are not the only addition that will spruce up your baking. Spices and herbs embody extraordinary health benefits that you may be missing out on.
Spices and herbs can improve heart health and gut health as well help fight off infections. Their flavors can give depth and complexity to your foods making them all the more enjoyable.
Commonly used spices such as cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, and turmeric promote antimicrobial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, and/or antioxidant properties.
Ginger is one spice that you may be familiar with. Ever drink a ginger ale on an upset stomach?
That’s because ginger can increase gastrointestinal movement which is known to reduce nausea and indigestion.
But ginger isn’t just found in drinks. If you’ve baked ginger snaps before you know the bold flavor ginger can bring to a cookie.
But spices are not the only bold addition to better your health. Herbs are full of vitamins, minerals, and immune-stimulating properties. Some are even known to reduce levels of stress.
Herbs such as peppermint, rosemary, lavender, basil, chamomile, rose and so much more can be incorporated to promote a healthier you.
You may have heard of rosemary focaccia bread, or blueberry lavender lemon cake, both of which contain healthy herbs.
Test out your creativity and see what new ideas you can come up with.
Leave a comment and let me know if you’ve had success baking with any nutritious substitutes.
Take Away
There are so many ways you can alter, switch, or swap ingredients in your recipes to introduce healthier habits. But focusing on health isn’t just about your physical well-being. It’s also about mental health and focusing energy on what matters most to you. What’s good for the mind is just as good for the body.
By following these simple tips you can not only feel optimistic that your foods will taste delicious. You’ll also feel confident knowing there are multiple ways you can incorporate nutrition to fit your lifestyle.
