Heart healthy holiday baking
To make holiday treats with heart, follow our 10 easy tips for heart healthy baking.
- Bake with less saturated fat. Instead of using butter or lard, use a soft, non-hydrogenated margarine like Becel, which has 80% less saturated fat than butter and no trans fat.
- Use whole-grain, whole-wheat flour. Substitute it for white flour, or use half of each in your recipes. Whole-grain, whole-wheat flour offers more nutrients and about four times more fibre than white flour.
- Find lower-fat ingredients. When a recipe calls for whole milk, try 2%, 1%, skim or even low-fat buttermilk. Choose lower-fat versions of cheese, sour cream and cream cheese too.
- Replace an egg. Some baked goods call for two or more eggs. Cut out about five grams of fat by substituting two egg whites for one large egg. Flaxseed can also replace eggs. Mix one tablespoon of ground flax with three tablespoons of water. Let it sit for a minute or two until it becomes gel-like. This mixture can replace one egg in your recipe.
- Make low-fat cookies. Try baking a batch of meringue cookies flavoured with almond extract, cocoa or even peppermint extract. One taste of these delicious low-fat Apricot Almond Biscotti cookies, and we bet your guests won't miss the shortbread!
- Bake with fruit. Bring a fruit-based dessert. These low fat, fibre-filled Baked Apples with Oatmeal Streusel are a perfect end to a meal.
- Toast those nuts. While nuts, which contain monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, can be part of a healthy holiday meal, their calories can add up quickly. Toasting nuts brings out their flavour, so you'll find you may be able to use less.
- Use muffin tin liners. That way, you won't have to use extra oil or fat to grease the tin. It's a lot easier to clean up, too!
- Cut back on the higher-fat extras and decorations. Skip the chocolate frosting and instead, add an elegant drizzle of melted chocolate. Or sprinkle a light dusting of icing sugar over your cakes, cookies and squares.
- Serve it smaller. Cut bars and treats into smaller pieces. Bake three small loaves instead of one large one. Make mini cupcakes instead of full-sized ones. (You'll need to reduce cooking time.) Smaller portions mean fewer calories and less fat — now that's a true gift!