sugar and fat substitutes

neil4ad

So I like to cook a lot, and what's more, I have a horrible sweet tooth. I've been experimenting with my cooking and am wondering if there are healthier options to substitute in for white sugar and butter in recipes.
I've read that one can usually replace up to 1/2 of the butter in a baked good recipe with olive oil. Any other suggestions?

thefewsteps

take a look at these links:

http://visual.ly/ultimate-vegan-baking-cheat-sheet

http://cookingontheside.com/greek-yogurt-chocolate-chip-cookies/

http://www.picklee.com/2012/08/01/recipe-substitutions/

seena511

i like to replace fatty stuff with greek yogurt a lot. i believe you can also do it with cottage cheese. as for sugar, i just use splenda baking blend.

neil4ad

those links are very useful. Thanks!

BaconMD

I've been using xylitol as my main sweetener for anything for like 7+ years, and coconut palm sugar instead of brown sugar for a couple years (before it blew up on Dr. Oz's show, anyhow).

For fat, I don't know. I use coconut oil, olive oil, peanut oil... I don't think you gain a whole lot by substituting anything for butter. I used to eat butter too, but my wife is lactose intolerant so I can't use it in any recipes she is going to eat, so I just don't buy it anymore.

Edit: xylitol kills yeast, so YMMV when baking things that need to rise.

BostonStrong617

There are recipes out there using healthier ingredients. And it is possible to replace some things with healthier options. However, I find baking much more scientific than cooking. If you change an ingredient you will not have the same final product/ result. The consistency or taste will be off and things just don't come together write. This is especially true when you skip butter. Splenda and Truvia (Stevia) both have baking blends that KIND OF work and shortening CAN work in some recipes as a butter substitute but honestly I've found it really hard to replace things in a lot of my own classic recipes. With things like cookies, cakes and pies etc you're better off just using the real stuff and then going the portion control route. Normally a small slice of something made with the right ingredients is better than a bigger slice of something using replacements. Cooking IMHO is a lot more lenient than baking. I've never tried a dessert of hers I've liked but chocolate covered katie does a lot of baking with substitutes although half her recipes make 3 different things based on what you decide to omit or leave in. SkinnyTaste actually has some great recipes.

DawnEH612

Sugar substitutes: dates, stevia, agave necture (low GI), Nectresse, cinnamon
Fat substitutes: chia seeds, apple sauce, banana, greek yogurt. If you just want to try a different, more nutritious fat try coconut oil or avocado. While all fats have the same 9 calories per gram, some fats do have more nutritional value per calorie than things such as butter or margarine.
Check out Pinterest. Lots of great ideas on there.

allshebe

When I want to bake something that's "bad" (in the sense of high sugar and fat and not much "real" nutrition), I make it using real ingredients (more or less according to the recipe) and then I take it into work. I have a piece that fits in with my eating plan and my co-workers deal with the "leftovers", leaving me not having to deal with the temptation of eating more than I've planned.