Have you started Banting and think that this means you have to wave goodbye to your favourite baked treats and meals? You couldn’t be more wrong! Thanks to some very handy low carb high fat baking products you can now find ways to bake the same recipes with a high fat twist.
Flours
You might think that since you are cutting out grains, and thus all grain products like flours, that there is simply no way to bake bread, cake, muffins and other tasty things. However, using high fat flours like coconut flour and almond flour provides you with a delicious alternative that can be used in sweet and savoury baking.
Sweeteners
Using sugar for your baked goods is obviously now out of the question, as are things like dates, rice syrup, honey and agave nectar. However, you may use xylitol is a low carb sugar alcohol which is similar in sweetness to sugar. This means that if you use one teaspoon of sugar you will use one teaspoon of xylitol. The other option is to use stevia which is a low carb natural sweetener.
Binders
Due to the fact that these new low carb flours do not have gluten in them, some recipes might need some extra help to bind the ingredients together. Psyllium husks are very useful here as they absorb moisture and become thick. They are also an excellent source of fibre.
Oils/Fats
Banting forbids the use of damaged and inflammatory fats like vegetable oils and margarine. You can easily and deliciously substitute these for healthy fats like butter and coconut oil.
Muesli
Many people love baking their own batches of muesli; however these usually contain grains and often sugar or honey. Instead of using grains you could use seeds and nuts with a small amount of dried fruit. You could also use xylitol instead of sugar and add flavour with cinnamon. Add some full-fat yogurt and you have a wonderful breakfast. Low carb high fat muesli is just as tasty as regular muesli and it is even healthier for you and your blood sugar levels.