Sugar has been known to masquerade its way into our breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. Our bodies can only handle a certain amount of it, and too much has been linked to diabetes, cardiovascular problems, and obesity. But with Valentine’s Day just around the corner and the blues of winter upon us, here are some healthier alternatives to make our favorite sugary baked goods a little healthier.
1. Replace sugar with unsweetened applesauce
For every cup of sugar, replace it with a cup of applesauce. It can be used pretty handily in many recipes, especially in cookies. A cup of applesauce averages about 100 calories, while a cup of sugar can add up to 700+ calories!
2. Replace butter with (puree) avocado
As if one of the trendiest fruits needed another place to be! Avocados are actually a great substitute for butter, with quite the same consistency. One cup of avocado pureed can replace one cup of butter. It is best used in brownies and cakes! Another bonus is that avocados are super filling on their own, so you may just end up eating less of that cake anyway – that’s two wins!
3. Try natural peanut butter over reduced fat peanut butter
On the surface, it may seem that these two types of peanut butters are pretty similar, but take a look at the sugar content. To reduce the fat in many of their peanut butters, companies simply replace with sugar, which in the long run is not any healthier or better. So choose the natural peanut butter, and avoid the unnecessary additives.
4. Try tofu in your brownies instead of fat
So tofu often gets a bad rep for being pretty tasteless with a weird texture. However, silken tofu or soft tofu is a great replacement with a 1:1 ratio for the fat in your brownie mix. Tofu is rather absorbent of flavors, so it’ll pick up the chocolate flavors in the brownies without adding too much to your sugar and fat content.
5. Replace sugar with agave nectar
Agave nectar, a sweetener, similar to maple syrup but not quite, is a great alternative to sugar. It has a lower glycemic index, and you’ll only need to use about three-fourths the amount of the sugar you would use. You can find agave nectar pretty much at any grocery store, so go out and grab some.