Oh I do have a good one for you today, especially if you love to bake! It goes along with the healthy Black Bean Brownie recipe I posted the other day.

Did you try them yet? So good!

Anyway … today I have a quick healthy swaps checklist you can use to bump up the “clean” quotient of your recipes.

While you’re working towards your goals this year, I still wanted you to be able to enjoy some of your favorite recipes … but a healthier version of them may taste equally as great (and will be a lot better for you)!

It’s important to note that because baking involves some science, swapping your ingredients can throw off your results (especially in the texture department) if you don’t adjust some other ingredients.

Example: if you have a recipe that includes eggs and you sub them out, you might need to add a little more baking powder.

That’s why I recommend only making 1 swap at a time per recipe, to avoid any surprises when you pull them out of the oven.

Easy Healthy Recipe Swaps

Sugar
Swap for unsweetened applesauce in a 1:1 ratio (1 cup sugar = 1 cup applesauce).

NOTE: For every 1 cup of applesauce, reduce the amount of other liquid by ¼ cup.

Or, swap very ripe bananas in a 1:½ ratio (1 cup sugar = ½ cup banana).

I like to use Erythritol as a sugar substitute when baking. It is 70% as sweet as sugar with virtually no calories. It has the lowest digestion and absorption rate: 0.3 calories per gram and it doesn’t have the bitter aftertaste of many other sugar substitute products. According to multiple studies, erythritol doesn’t raise blood sugar, and it appears very safe with no serious side effects.

You could, for example, use apple sauce or bananas and add a little erythritol if it doesn’t taste quite sweet enough for you.

Eggs
Make a vegan “egg.”
Mix 1 tablespoon of chia seeds -or- ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoons of water and let it thicken for 15 minutes. Bonus: this adds fiber and healthy fat!

Oils & Butter
Tip: Start by replacing half of the fat in your recipe.

Swap either pumpkin puree or applesauce in 1:1 ratio (½ cup oil = ½ cup pumpkin or applesauce).

Or, swap avocado in a 1:½ ratio (1 tbsp of butter = ½ tbsp avocado). This tip will help your recipe feel rich and creamy.

Swap prune puree in a 1:1 ratio (½ cup of oil = ½ cup prune puree). This works best in dark-colored items like brownies. I’ve used baby food prune puree in the past to make fat-free chocolate cookies.

To make it yourself: put ¾ cup of prunes into a high-speed blender or food processor, and add ¼ cup of boiling water. With cover SECURELY CLOSED, puree.

Flour
Swap ground oats (pulverize in a blender), wheat flour for gluten-free flour (almond, coconut, etc.) Follow the package directions for the proper ratio.

Or, try rinsed and drained canned black beans in a 1:1 ratio (1 cup flour = 1 cup black beans).

Have fun with these! And your friends and fam don’t ever have to know about the swaps. 🙂 It can be our little secret!

I’ll show you how to plan, prep, cook, and store your food so that you always have a healthy meal ready-to-go. And I’ll even show you how to make it fun! Get my FREE Meal Prep Guide at https://adelefrizzell.com/mealprepguide/

How is the healthy Black Bean Brownie recipe I sent to you the other day? Let me know if you loved it.

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