The food choices that we make have a deep impact on our life and health. It is rightly said that ‘You are what you eat,’ so for a healthy and fit living, make mindful food choices. Post-pandemic, there is a growing trend of people prioritizing their health and making healthy food choices.
There are a lot of options available too: healthy, gluten-free, zero oil, low cholesterol, high fiber, high protein, foods are now easily available and pocket friendly too.
Another reason for the shift is the alarming increase in lifestyle disorder diseases. According to a recent news article, the gap between rural and urban diabetes burdens is narrowing. It also found a surge in children being diagnosed with Type1 diabetes. Cakes, muffins, and pastries are everyone’s favorite, and we can’t avoid them, but we can make them healthy with Maida-free baking.
Why is Maida bad for health?
Maida is refined flour, which causes insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. It increases weight and cholesterol levels. It can also cause inflammation and digestion issues. A few other health issues include impaired gut health, acne, constipation, and hormonal issues. Maida-free baking has been the latest trend online and is loved by people who are health conscious.
How can you bake without Maida?
Baking is made easy and healthy by substituting unhealthy ingredients with healthy substitutes. Natural sweeteners and healthy flours are simple ways to turn baked goodies into healthy foods.
But what are these substitutes that you can opt for while indulging in Maida-free baking?
Healthy substitutes for Maida :
● Almond flour,
● Millet flour,
● Brown rice flour,
● Quinoa flour,
● Oats flour,
● Ragi flour,
● Jowar flour,
● Coconut flour,
● Buckwheat flour,
● Tapioca flour,
● Banana flour,
● Chickpea flour,
● Mix atta
Healthy sweeteners can be stevia powder or leaves, organic jaggery, and palm sugar.
A few tips to ace Maida-free baking
The first thing to remember when you start Maida-free baking is that because of the substitution, you will have to re-look at the measurements and temperature.
Gluten-free cakes can be dry. Use ingredients like eggs, yogurt, apple sauce/puree, avocado oil, or even bananas to increase the moisture quotient.
For tea cakes, adding fruits like bananas or vegetables like grated zucchini or carrot can improve texture and moisture.
Gluten-free or Maida-free cakes can be crumbly. To improve that, one can use dates. They act as a natural sweetener and also help with the texture.
Another tip is to use a pinch of flax seeds or chia seeds for baking. This improves the chewiness of the cake.
To make the baking more healthy, use healthy fats like nut butter and cold-pressed oils.
If you are looking for hassle-free, quick baking with perfect results, opt for premixes. These days, ready-to-bake flours and premixes are easily available. Just follow the instructions and your delicious and healthy cakes or muffins are ready in a jiffy!
At SkyRoots, we have a dedicated range of healthy baking premixes that you can choose from. These are available offline or on our website and are Maida-free, gluten-free, millet-based healthy premixes :
1. Chocolate Millet Cake Mix
2. Vanilla Millet Cake Mix
3. Cookie Millet Baking Mix
4. Brownie Millet Baking Mix
Pro Tip – When opting for premixes, make sure to read the label before buying. The ingredients mentioned should be healthy.
Millets for baking
Healthy flour, especially millet flour, is also loaded with vitamins and minerals. They are rich in antioxidants, gut-friendly, and easy to digest. Millet flour is high in protein, iron, calcium, and fiber than traditional all-purpose flour. Being gluten-free, it is a perfect choice for people with gluten allergies and the best alternative for weight watchers too. If you are on weight loss, millet bread, millet cookies, and cakes are guilt-free sweet options you can have. It doesn’t pile on weight, plus satisfies your sweet tooth. It is kids friendly and even the elderly can enjoy it.
Baking is fun and a good relaxing stress buster. It can be a hobby that helps you to destress. If you are an avid baker but curbing your interest in the health of your family, choose healthy baking today. opt for Maida-free baking and care for your passion and family without compromising on taste.
