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3 of the Best Ways to Bake

We thought it would be fun to dive into 3 of the best ways to bake from our friends at BrainMD! Enjoy these simple tips as you make your favorite summertime treats.

Baking can be a great way to provide delicious foods for your friends and family.

It also can be an altruistic expression. Whether making cookies for a bake sale or taking some baked goods over to a new neighbor, baking can be a great way to show others how much you care.

Whatever the reason or occasion, many people derive satisfaction from baking, especially when it’s for the ones they love. It’s common to experience positive feelings when baking. In the end, many people bake simply because they enjoy it.

Indeed, there’s a whole host of benefits to consider since baking can…

  • help relieve stress
  • have a positive effect on mental health
  • encourage creativity by adjusting recipes/experimenting with ingredients
  • help improve concentration
  • be a sensory experience
  • provide a sense of accomplishment
  • be an act of kindness to others
  • bring back special memories from childhood
  • be a form of mindfulness
  • be a cause of celebration during special seasons/occasions

And the list goes on and on!

3 of the Best Ways to Bake Healthier

Ditch the Butter

Butter is high in saturated fat. The American Heart Association advises that saturated fat should make up only 5 to 6% of your daily caloric intake.

To avoid the potentially harmful effects of baking with butter, swap butter for olive oil or avocado oil. These healthier oils work well in most baking recipes.

Though coconut oil is high in saturated fat, it might support weight loss, improve brain function, and help regulate cholesterol. Coconut oil offers a healthier option to butter for vegans.

Pitch the White Flour

Stripped of the bran and germ of the wheat kernel, white flour loses most of its fiber and nutrients during the refining process. Also, white flour can spike blood sugar levels.

An excess of white flour in the diet has been linked to a host of health problems, including weight gain, heart health issues, poor cognition, low mood, and increased cravings. One of the healthiest decisions you can make for yourself and your family is to pitch white flour.

The good news is there are alternative flours available, which offer different tastes and textures – and better nutrition. It’s recommended that you substitute the white flour in your baking recipes with oat flour or coconut flour.

Switch the Sugar

Table sugar is devoid of fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Having too much sugar in your diet is linked to an unhealthy inflammatory response in the body, unhealthy blood sugar and blood pressure levels, weight gain, and liver and heart health issues.

One simple way to make your baked goods healthier is to use less sugar than what the recipe calls for. Also, you can take it a step farther by switching white sugar for an unrefined sweetener.

Unrefined sugars are generally lower on the glycemic index scale – which means they won’t spike your blood sugar like table sugar does. Among the most popular unrefined sugars are pure maple syrup, coconut sugar, honey, unsulphured molasses, brown rice syrup, date sugar, and fruit.

Overripe bananas, applesauce, and dates also are healthy sweetener options. To make muffins healthier, use these fruits or combine them with a small amount of unrefined sugar. You can experiment with the amount of sweetness, but less sugar is always better.

BAKE AWAY

Baking can be a fun pastime and a great way to show your love, compassion, and appreciation for others.

We hope you enjoy the above tips for how to bake healthier, while keeping the delicious taste and textures of your favorite baked goods! 

After all, healthy eating is all about abundance not deprivation, and being able to fully enjoy every bite!

Happy Eating,
All of us at RISE

 

 

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