By Megan Roosevelt, RDN & Founder of HealthyGroceryGirl.com

One of my favorite parts of the Holiday season is baking and cooking! I love the seasonal flavors from cinnamon, orange, cranberry, pumpkin, gingerbread, and of course, anything chocolate! While the Holiday-time can be delicious, it can also be a season when people eat more sugar than usual.

According to the American Heart Association, the average American exceeds the maximum recommended sugar intake year-round. In addition, most Americans find that their sugar intake increases between Halloween and Christmas. Here is a snapshot of the approximate daily sugar consumption across several age groups:

ADULTS –  22 teaspoons of “added” sugar per day
Guidelines: Women 6 teaspoons or less, Men 9 teaspoons or less

1-3 YEAR OLDS – 12 teaspoons of sugar daily
Guideline: 2 teaspoons or less per day

4-8 YEAR OLDS – 21 teaspoons of sugar daily
Guideline: Maximum of 4 teaspoons

Here are a few blog posts to learn more about sugar and its impact on our health: 

• The Sneaky Way A High Sugar Diet May Be Contributing To Hormone Imbalance
• The Sugar and  Brain Connection: How Sugar Affects Cognitive Health
• Sneaky Sources of Sugar
• How To Support Healthy Blood Sugar Levels

While sugar is delicious, when consumed in excess it’s not so great for our health! So today I’m sharing 10 tips for how to reduce sugar intake this Holiday season while cooking and baking and not lose any Holiday flavor or fun!!

Healthy Holiday Baking Tips

Swap Granulated Sugar for Purecane Baking Sweetener

This low-glycemic sweetener alternative is great for cooking, baking, or beverages. Purecane tastes like sugar, bakes like sugar, is all-natural, zero calories, Non-GMO, Diabetes-friendly, vegan, environmentally friendly, and sustainably sourced!

With a one-to-one ratio, you can easily replace 1 cup of traditional granulated sugar with 1 cup of Purecane Baking Sweetener. 

Swap Brown Sugar for Purecane Brown Sweetener

Similar to white granulated sugar, if a recipe calls for brown sugar, you can swap it for Purecane Brown Sweetener! Purecane Brown Sweetener is colored only with fruit juice colors and has a delicious caramel flavor profile, just like traditional brown sugar - yet without the sugar crash!

Swap Powdered Sugar for Purecane Confectioners Sweetener

Powdered sugar is a baking staple, however like most traditional sweeteners, powdered sugar provides no nutritional benefits and can raise blood sugar levels. Purecane Confectioners Sweetener is the perfect choice for homemade frostings, glazes, decorating cookies or snowy toppers on cakes or pies.

Swap Butter for a Heart Healthy Fat

Did you know that you can swap butter at a 1:1 ratio with unsweetened applesauce, avocado or pumpkin puree in muffin, cake or quick bread recipes? These swaps provide the body with fiber, vitamins and minerals too!

Trade White Flour for Whole-Wheat Flour, Almond Flour or Oat Flour

White flour has been stripped of nutrients and fiber during processing. Whole-wheat flour, almond flour and oat flour are three alternatives that still have fiber and are better for blood sugar levels. Oat flour can easily be made by blending rolled oats into a fine flour consistency.

Baking often requires exact ingredient measurements to get the best results. If you're new to baking with alternative flours, start with a recipe that already exists, such as this Almond Flour Lemon Cake or this Orange Chocolate Pumpkin Bread. 

Not quite ready to give up white flour completely? Swap half of the white flour with a healthier option!

Better Sweetener For Beverages

Purecane is not only limited to baked recipes, it can also be great for beverages such as this Pumpkin Spice Iced Latte with Reduced Sugar Pumpkin Pie Syrup.

Morning Coffee or Tea Sweetener

While not a baking tip… coffee and tea go great with a baked treat! If you like a little sweetness in your hot drinks, Purecane Spoonable Canister is a great choice! This canister also makes a great gift to any health-conscious co-worker or friend this Holiday season!

Spice Things Up!

Herbs and spices are a wonderful, low-calorie way to add both flavor and nutrition to a recipe! Warm, aromatic spices such as nutmeg, cinnamon, clove, ginger, peppermint, and allspice are great for Holiday baking and cooking!

Rich, Creamy Holiday Pudding

When making a creamy pudding such as this Chocolate Mousse, or a similar holiday treat, use Purecane which blends easily into creamy desserts without the gritty, granulated texture you can get with some sugar replacements.

Use Fruit To Sweeten Recipes

In addition to finding a better-for-you sweetener such as Purecane, fruit is a wonderful way to add flavor, natural sweetness, and fiber to recipes! Pureed fruits such as bananas or dates are delicious in baked recipes and better for blood sugar levels than granulated sugar, due to their inclusion of fiber. 

 

Wishing you a delicious, healthy Holiday season! 

You can stay connected with Megan Roosevelt, RDN on Instagram at @HealthyGroceryGirl, watch recipe videos at YouTube.com/HealthyGroceryGirl or visit her recipe and wellness blog at HealthyGroceryGirl.com

See how Purecane does healthy lifestyle choices on Facebook and Instagram