Getting your kids involved in the kitchen is an easy way to expose them to the important life skill of cooking. Fortunately with baking sweets, most kids are more than eager to participate (being able to lick the spatula was always the best part when we were kids, right?).
Baking is always a fun way to have a sweet snack here and there, however much of the ingredients called for in baked goods recipes consist of unhealthy options such as Crisco or butter, bleached four or high amounts of white refined sugar. With the awareness of nutrition on the rise, there are so many healthier options out there to give you alternatives for each ingredient in your recipe to make them just as yummy but healthier at the same time.
- Flour –
There are a lot of flour substitutes out there such as whole-wheat flour, which gives you more fiber than its bleached form. Nut flours are also very common. They have healthy oils in them and also more fiber.
- Sugar –
There are so many alternatives for sugar it would be difficult to list them all. Natural honey, maple syrup, agave nectar or coconut sugar are just a couple options you can choose from when searching for a sweetener. These can be just as effective as refined sugar except they don’t have as high of a refined sugar content.
- Eggs –
Not everyone likes to eat eggs or thinks that they are healthy for you, especially people who are committed to a vegan diet or have high cholesterol. Some excellent egg alternatives are chia seeds or flax-seed meal which still have emulsifying agents like eggs but are from plant sources.
- Butter –
Butter can typically be substituted with any nut butters or unsaturated oils. Some other good options would be applesauce which has a low calorie content or ripe bananas which can still have the creamy texture of butter but are filled with nutrients and natural sugars.
Coming up with way to make your favorite recipes healthier for yourself and your family can be a fun exercise and is definitely worth it in the end!
