You could successfully convert your favourite high sugar recipes by a little experimentation. Try the following substitutions. If you know the function of the ingredients in a recipe, you can get a good idea that the changes you make will work.
Sugar provides flavour, increases moisture, tenderness, browning in baked goods. It helps yeast products rise, and is a preservative in jams, jellies and pickles.
Although people with diabetes can have controlled amounts of sugar in a food, reducing the sugar, lowers the carbohydrate grams per serving. If the recipe can have more fibre added, the food item will have a lesser impact on blood glucose.
- Reduce all added sugar by 1/3 in a recipe, such as cookies and pie fillings. This includes brown sugar, syrup, honey, etc.
- Limit sugar to 1 tbsp. for each cup of flour in quick breads and muffins.
- Cinnamon, nutmeg, or vanilla will enhance sweetening flavour.
- Try using a non-nutritive sweetener. However, cakes and cookies may be a little dry, so leaving some sugar in the recipe will keep the item moist.
- Try options like banana-, carrot-, cranberry-, zucchini- or pumpkin bread. The fruits and vegetables will add fibre and you can use whole-wheat, oats, legumes, barley or even a nut flour instead of regular flour.
- Spray some Spray & Cook on the top of the muffins or cookies to increase browning.
If you really want to lower the carbohydrate in your home dinner recipes, try substituting high carbohydrate ingredients with lower carb versions.
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