Healthy Holiday Baking Tips

While the holidays should be enjoyed, there are ways to sneak healthier ingredients into your desserts and baked goods so that you don’t completely abandon your progress.

The holidays are in full swing, which is great for gathering around the fire with friends and families… but could be not so good for our goals or waistlines! While the holidays should be enjoyed, there are ways to sneak healthier ingredients into your desserts and baked goods so that you aren’t completely left abandoning your progress. Try these swaps this Christmas season:

FIRST, CHANGE YOUR FLOUR There are many recipes that call for regular white flour, however, this flour is nutrient poor. By replacing the common white flour with almond flour or whole wheat flour, you can add in more nutrients to your baked goods. Almond flour provides protein and less carbohydrates and can also be a good option for gluten-free friends. Whole wheat flour provides more fiber than white flour, as well as more micronutrients, such as vitamin B1, folate, and riboflavin. You can even mix whole wheat flour and almond flour in place of white flour to get the perks of both! If you aren’t sure about totally replacing all of the white flour, try replacing half of the white flour with half whole wheat or almond flour!

KICK THE OIL, USE APPLESAUCE Oils are high in fats (some types especially in saturated fats) and can leave you with more calories than you want. By using unsweetened applesauce in place of oil, you can maintain moisture in your baked goods, but at a fraction of the fat and calories! For an added bonus, unsweetened applesauce already has natural sweetness to it from the apples, which can make your baked good sweeter and could cause you to reduce the sugar in the recipe. Oil to applesauce is a 1:1 ratio so use the same amount of applesauce as you would oil.

FLAX EGGS? WHAT!? Yes, they are a real thing! Flax eggs are higher in fiber and omega-3’s than regular eggs, as well as lower in calories, cholesterol, and saturated fat. Another perk to using flax eggs in baking is that they are safe for your vegan friends or those with egg-sensitivities and allergies! When adding to your next recipe, use 3 Tbsp of water with 1 Tbsp of flaxseed in place of 1 egg.