That's so weird, i made vcon banana bread today too! I have a rule, half and half. Half healthy, half naughty. So I did half white flour, half whole wheat. Half oil, half applesauce (yes even in this recipe where it's already half applesauce). Half sugar, half no cal tumour death stuff (or agave if I have it). I thought it turned out well, but you have to be sure not to overstir!!! That's a big no-no.

Rach-ums, I guess there's just something in the air today (like ripe bananas...)

melomeals, where do you get your stevia and how do you know how much to use in replacement of sugar (what's the ratio?)! i'm interested in trying that!

Unless I'm baking for other people, I usually healthify dessert/baked good recipes - whole wheat pastry flour, less fat, slightly less sugar, etc. I don't have a rule of thumb, per se, I guess I've just been baking long enough (and often enough!) that I know what will and won't work.

I use Kal Stevia (it's the only stevia I use)

http://www.myvitanet.com/pustexpo35oz.h … stexpo35oz

They say to use 1 teaspoon to replace a cup of sugar, but I've found that is way way too much. I use more like a scant 1/2 t.   I use it all the time to make KoolAid for my kids (sooo bad for you, but they love it)...

Here's the recipe for my breakfast muffins using lentils..

Breakfast Muffins/Cake

Wet Ingredients:
2 c chai tea
2 c cooked lentils
4 T fresh ginger
¾ c coconut
1 T cinnamon
1 t ground cloves
1 t coconut extract (or vanilla or almond)
¼ c flax meal
¼ t kal stevia (optional) or 4 t liquid sweetener
1 T vinegar

Dry Ingredients:
4 c whole wheat flour
1 T baking powder
1.5 t baking soda
½ c sugar
1 t salt
Optional: 1 c raisins

Method:
Pre-heat oven to 375

Place the wet ingredients in a blender and blend

Mix the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl, make a well and fold the wet ingredients in until just combined.

Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray and scoop a quarter  cup into the tins.  Bake for 15- 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Or spray a 9 by 13 baking pan and place mixture in there.

Here's a pic of them:
http://melomeals.blogspot.com/2009/03/3 … times.html

Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Last edited by melomeals (Fri 3/27/09 10:47 pm)

It sure does add the protein. I make muffins for my kids to grab early in the morning for breakfast... and want to get as much nutrition into them as possible! I freeze the muffins and we take them out the night before and let them thaw.

thanks melomeals! i'll have to try that recipe some time!

does stevia have any sort of weird taste associated with it? slash can you definitely tell there's no sugar in the baked goods? it almost seems too good to be true, which is why i ask

Rach-ums wrote:

no cal tumour death stuff

Please let this be their new offcial marketing campaign!

Mat.

I healthify almost everything too. I don't go crazy with each recipe, but I try to make improvements where I can. If I'm baking I'll usually sub at least half of the flour with whole wheat or spelt flour, and replace some of the fat. I do it with non-baking recipes too.

Rach-ums wrote:

That's so weird, i made vcon banana bread today too! I have a rule, half and half. Half healthy, half naughty. So I did half white flour, half whole wheat. Half oil, half applesauce (yes even in this recipe where it's already half applesauce). Half sugar, half no cal tumour death stuff (or agave if I have it). I thought it turned out well, but you have to be sure not to overstir!!! That's a big no-no.

i do this too, sometimes. the half and half when baking; because at least you know that the final product will taste good and you're not ruining the ingredients.

I used to do this but now I don't.  Sometimes, I'll cut the oil in salad dressings or sauteing oil but other than that, I don't sweat it.  I feel properly full when I leave the oils and fats alone.  I remember when I used to sub out much of the oils in cooking years ago (I went through this phase), my stomach still felt empty like I'd just eaten paper of something of no substance.  Those were the days! 

And yes, if cooking vegan for non-vegans, definitely leave the oil, sugars and salts alone without subbing to the point of fat and taste-freeishness.

Vijita wrote:

ameyfm wrote:

BananaNut wrote:

I healthify almost everything too. I don't go crazy with each recipe, but I try to make improvements where I can. If I'm baking I'll usually sub at least half of the flour with whole wheat or spelt flour, and replace some of the fat. I do it with non-baking recipes too.

yeah, this is my approach. Cut back on the fat a bit, sometimes cut back on salt, always half whole grain flour... In some recipes I really drastically cut back on fat... but it has taken me some experience to know when you can and when you can't .

On occasion though, I have totally overdone the healthifying! I definitely know what you mean.

+1 on pretty much all regards.

One thing I stick to though...NEVER healthify vegan recipes for vegan-skeptic omni's. They need every little bit fatty surgary oily salty bit of vegan food goodness to shut up with the critiquing. It's funny too, because they usually assume it must be exceedingly healthy since it doesn't *gasp* contain lard, meat, etc etc etc. Makes me chuckle while dumping a 1/2 cup of oil into the white flour for the chocolate chip cookies.

One pattern I've noticed in my own consumption is that I make something decadent (ex: a dessert or fatty entree without healthful substitutions), my body naturally craves much lighter accompaniments and I feel like it evens out in the end, without sacrificing taste. For example, I LOVE a light salad meal, but after said meal if I have a gooey brownie or something I feel much more balanced and healthy than if I were to make a super-reduced fat noodle dish or casserole or something and then waste a batch of perfectly good cookies on overly healthificated dry biscuits. Additionally, a heavy veggie burger begs to be accompanied by salad rather than fried in most cases.

Obviously, moderation is key.

Also....when I (like last night) go out with friends and drink a bit too much wine and come home to gorge on a pretty greasy grilled "cheese" with tempeh bacon late at night, the next morning (this morning) I wake up and only want to eat raw fruits and veggies until the evening. It's amazing how much our bodies and appetites can tell us if we listen.

Funny you mention that last part, because last night I DID in fact drink too much wine, and I got back to my dorm room with the drunkie munchies and ate like a BIGASS chunk of said banana bread that inspired this thread (i may have over-healthified it, but it's still plenty chocolate chippy, and if you eat enough of anything...). And, yeah, exactly like you said, I woke up and had a huge plate of fresh honeydew, cantaloupe, and pineapple for breakfast.

Oh, and another funny thing...when I first woke up in the morning, I had a horrible hangover and felt really hot and dehydrated. The only liquid in my mini dorm fridge was a container of Silk Light Vanilla. I may or may not have chugged an unhealthy amount of it in my desperation.

Last edited by eleanorbabyy (Sat 3/28/09 11:40 pm)

I've over-healthified things for several years now.... But I baked with a friend last weekend who wanted to follow the recipes to a T and I found that I just couldn't eat the over-sweet baked goods. I've ruined myself for over-sweet things forever! ^^;; Oh well, I suppose it is for the best in the long run.