The holidays are full of opportunities to over-indulge in delicious sweet treats that can leave you with low energy and a few extra pounds in January. Adding Designer Wellness protein to your recipe along with the simple ingredient swaps below can make your desserts more satisfying, just as delicious, and less likely to pack on the pounds.
TIPS FOR ADDING DESIGNER WELLNESS PROTEIN POWDER
Adding Designer Wellness protein powder to your baked goods can help decrease your hunger hormones, balance your blood sugars, prevent blood sugar crashes, leave you more satisfied, and prevent overeating. Below are the secrets to adding protein powder to your recipes.
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Decrease cooking temperature and cooking time slightly to prevent browning the crust too early
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Use Designer Wellness powder in place of 3% of your flour
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Increase liquid (oil, applesauce, milk, water) to help keep the finished goodie moist.
FLOUR SWAPS
1. Instead of white flour, try coconut flour.
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Coconut flour is an excellent heavy thick flour with a moist, sweet, buttery flavor in baking. It is perfect for digestion and eases constipation, and it’s denser than other flours to help you feel fuller faster in your sweet treat. It's low-carb and gluten-free, so it's great for diabetics and the gluten-sensitive crowd.
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Note: With coconut flour, you will need more eggs to help it fluff up and more liquids as the coconut flour absorb a lot.
2. Swap whole wheat flour for white flour.
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Whole wheat works well in cookies, brownies, and bread.
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This swap will help increase fiber in your recipe and help you feel fuller while helping you prevent large spikes in your blood sugar after eating foods high in carbohydrates.
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1 cup = 7/8 cup of regular white flour
3. Instead of whole wheat flour, try oat flour.
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Oat flour is just ground-up oatmeal. Oat flour makes incredibly moist cookies and rich buttery biscuits and adds a nice dose of B vitamins and fiber.
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Oat flour is one of my favorite gluten-free flour because it has a mild flavor, has more fiber, and is lower in calories than other gluten-free flour. Many gluten-free flours have an extra 50 calories per ¼ cup, making them higher in calories the regular wheat flour.
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Try it in your favorite banana bread recipe. It's like having bananas and cinnamon in oatmeal!
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When replacing whole wheat flour, use a 1:1 ratio with oat flour.
4. Swap flour for black beans
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Use it as a substitution in brownies 1:1 ratio with flour.
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This will have fiber and protein, increasing the likelihood you will be satisfied much quicker than the regular version.
FATS
1. Instead of shortenings and butter, try pureed fruits like bananas, applesauce, prunes, or avocados.
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Not only does it add a natural sweetness and gut-healthy fiber, but it also cuts the calorie content by half in specific recipes.
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Try replacing oil in brownies with mashed bananas or avocados. It also works in cookies, making them softer and moist.
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Try pureed plums or apples, or pears in oatmeal raisin cookies!
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Using avocado would be best for those watching carb intake.
2. Conversions
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½ cup apple sauce + ½ fat = 1 cup butter
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Works well in sweet bread or muffins
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¾ cup prunes with ¼ cup boiling water = 1 cup butter
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Works well in dark baked goods such as brownies, chocolate cookies, and cakes
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1 cup avocado = 1 cup butter or ½ cup avocado + ½ cup butter = 1 cup butter
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Works well in brownies and chocolate cookies
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TBSP flax seed meal +1TBSP Water= 1TBSP butter
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Works well in muffins, cakes, cookies, or anything with a nutty flavor
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1 cup mashed banana for 1 cup oil or butter
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Works well in brownies and cookies
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2-3 TBSP chia seeds +1 cup water (let sit for 15 minutes) = 1 cup Butter
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Works well in muffins, cakes, and bread
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Adds fiber, protein, omega-3s, and potassium
SUGAR
1. Use 2 scoops of chocolate or vanilla Designer Protein Powder instead of ¼ cup of sugar in the recipe
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This technique will help boost your recipe's protein and nutrient profile and make each goodie more satisfying.
2. Vanilla has a natural sweetness to it. Cut your added sugar by adding more vanilla to your recipe.
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Works well in cookies, cakes, sweet bread, brownies
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Vanilla extract ½ tsp = 2 Tbsp Sugar
3. Try allulose instead of sugar.
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Allulose is a type of sugar that resembles fructose but doesn't have the same impact on blood sugar levels.
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Allulose provides .4 calories per gram, while regular sugar provides four calories per gram
MISC TIPS
1 Prevent mindless eating while baking.
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While baking, have a plate of veggies with hummus or plain Greek yogurt seasoned with a ranch packet for dipping. This will keep the mindless nibbles on something healthier.
2. For rice crispy treats, try
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Brown rice cereal or puffed millet with flax meal = 1 cup rice crispy cereal
3. Swap out peanut butter for powdered peanut butter. This will cut your calories by 80%
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1 cup PB2 = 1 cup Natural Peanut Butter
3. Cut the cream by using evaporated skim milk
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1 cup evaporated skim milk = 1 cup heavy cream
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Works well in whipped cream, cakes, scones, and biscuits
4. Cut sugar by using cacao nibs instead of chocolate chips
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1cup cacao nibs = 1 cup chocolate chips
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Works well in cookies, cakes, and loaves of bread
PIE CRUST
1. Cut the calories and fat by swapping out the pie crust for graham crackers
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1 cup crushed graham crackers = 1 cup crushed cookie or traditional pie crust
2. Try a date and nut crust instead
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1 ½ cups pitted dates, coarsely chopped and soaked in hot water for 10 minutes, 1 ½ cups chopped pecans1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, one teaspoon powdered ginger, Pinch of salt
Designer Wellness Recipes
Fluffy Pumpkin Banana Bread with Cream Cheese Frosting
Chocolate PB Quinoa Crunch Bars
