3 healthier ways to bake without using butter
BUTTER is a much-loved ingredient in many recipes but some health experts say there are many reasons why you should substitute it with healthier ingredients.
They say the fat found in butter is mostly saturated, the kind that raises LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, a contributing factor in heart disease.
According to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of South Africa, up to 80% of heart disease and stroke can be prevented by following a healthy lifestyle and that includes healthy eating.
Eating well and making good nutritional choices is one of the best weapons you can have in the fight against heart disease, as well as diabetes, obesity and some cancers.
Luckily, there are plenty of ingredients that can easily stand in for butter. Culinary artist Jessica Gavin shares some common healthier substitutes and things to know about each that can help achieve the same creamy taste and texture as butter:
Greek yoghurt
Greek yoghurt is a dairy-based nutritional powerhouse that is excellent eating it as is and even better when added to baked goods. There are non-fat options, so that you get a dose of only protein. However, the full-cream version will give the softest baked goods since fat is being added. It works well to add moisture and structure for quick breads and cakes.
Olive oil
Olive oil is a favourite fat to use because of its naturally rich taste and healthy unsaturated fat profile. Due to its savoury and sometimes spicy flavour, olive oil isn’t always the best option for sweeter baked goods, so it’s best used in bread, certain muffins, pot pies, meat pie crusts and biscuits. Choose a light olive oil for a more neutral taste or extra-virgin olive oil for a more robust flavour.
Applesauce
Applesauce replaces butter in recipes and adds additional natural sweetness if you’re looking to cut down the added refined sugar. Cooked and puréed apples add structure and moisture to baked goods, plus extra fibre that helps bind water, keeping it in the baked product. Choose the unsweetened version in order to keep the calorie load at a minimum.