This small, yet powerful ingredient can replace many of your favorite processed foods.
The summer days are here and those of us trying to stick to a calorie/macro count or a low-sugar diet might worry about the summer fiestas and barbecues approaching. Yes, many of our party food favorites consist of the off-limit food groups: sugar, salt, and unending snack platters. It's so much harder to say no to the sweets when everyone around you is grabbing another marg and slice of cake.
But, don’t cancel the festivities without calling in the substitute. Your summer can still go on! With one simple tweak, we can save the summer sweets!
This small, yet powerful ingredient can replace many of your favorite processed, sugary foods.
Try substituting the different forms of coconut listed below into your summer cooking or baking and, instead of fearing the parties to come, host them!
This well-rounded island essential has become a kitchen essential in my house. Coconut milk replaces the dairy from regular milk with a perfect 1:1 ratio. Whether canned or refrigerated, the creamy drink easily blends in with the rest of the ingredients while simultaneously providing the palette with an extra velvety richness.
Coconut butter kicks regular, dairy butter out of the park. With the same melting rate and mixing consistency as butter, this ingredient perfectly replaces the old and opens up a whole new dimension for those of us with dairy intolerances. Break out your favorite cookie recipe and give coconut butter a try!
The semi-solid oil takes a little getting used to when it comes to cooking and baking. The oil can replace any vegetable or olive oil easily while also taking the place of an egg. I love eggs, but they do run high in fat and I sometimes have to nix them from my diet in order to hit my macro goals. The conversion process is easy: For every two eggs, replace with ¼ cup coconut oil. Keep in mind, coconut oil runs high in fat as well, but if you can replace the vegetable oil and eggs in a recipe, and that saves you from eating twice the fat!
Since coconut flour is a little softer in composition and less adhesive than wheat flour, it has to call in for a little assistance from another derivation of flour. I recommend combining almond flour and coconut flour for a more complete replacement of traditional wheat flour. When mixed with the coconut flour, the almond flour balances out the sweeter, flakier element for a full-bodied, ready-for-baking flour.
Sugar may not be listed as one of the top of allergens, but lately issues such as diabetes, insulin surges and dietary sugar limitations have become more of a concern. Coconut sugar essentially resembles regular white sugar, but it contains many more health benefits. With a low glycemic index, coconut sugar can take the place of a white or brown sugar ingredient with a 1:1 conversion ratio.