Gluten Free

Today we are discussing Food Substitutions to help you lose weight.

As most of you know, I’ve taken to a low carb / paleo / unprocessed approach to my weight loss. 

What does that mean? 

It means I eat real food – fruits and vegetables with meat and some cheese.

No more food from a package. No food with flour, rice, grains, white potatoes, or white sugar. Yes, I enjoy honey and maple syrup, but only sparingly. 

And yes… I have a taste of the recipes that make for both here and for Dieter’s Downfall… It really is a job hazard.

Which is exactly why I need to bake more things like these Sugar Free and Gluten Free Strawberry Muffins. They are low carb because I used Almond Flour in place of White Flour. I also used Cashew Butter in place of Butter and I used Swerve in place of Sugar.

Swerve is new to me. I was introduced to this sugar substitute from other low-carb bloggers. This is the first recipe that I’ve actually used it in. I tried it in my coffee and HATED it!! Like I could not tolerate it and as a result of not using sugar or Splenda and milk, I’ve given up coffee. (That’s a whole nother post!)

Swerve Sweetener is Erythritol. What is Erythritol?? Well, according to Wikipedia – “Erythritol  is a sugar alcohol (or polyol) that has been approved for use as a food additive in the United States and throughout much of the world. It was discovered in 1848 by British chemist John Stenhouse. It occurs naturally in some fruits and fermented foods. At the industrial level, it is produced from glucose by fermentation with a yeast, Moniliella pollinis. It is 60–70% as sweet as table sugar yet it is almost noncaloric, does not affect blood sugar, does not cause tooth decay, and is partially absorbed by the body, excreted in urine and feces. It is less likely to cause gastric side effects than other sugar alcohols because of its unique digestion pathway.”

What does that mean? Seriously… I don’t know. 

I just know that it’s better than other artificial sweeteners and it won’t mess with an insulin spike or upset my tummy.

I am still new to this gluten free baking. This is the second thing I baked using Almond Flour. My banana bread, I thought, was a fail. The texture was weird and I found it to be oily. These were similar in texture, but I put them on to a napkin after cooling and the oily residue disappeared. I think it’s from the coconut oil, but I’m still too new to fully understand it.  

A few of my observations – 

#1 – These will NOT rise. Yes, there is some baking soda in the recipe, but they will not puff up like a muffin.

#2 – Do not measure them like you would regular muffins. Measure less in the cupcake pan. 

#3 – I liked it better from the microwave instead of the oven. (maybe because they overflowed and got overdone one the edges.) 

#4 – I liked them. It took a little getting used to, but the inside was moist and the outside had a nice crispness to it. It felt and tasted cooked (unlike my banana bread).

Head on over to The Haas Machine, Wonky Wonderful and Je suis Alimentageuse to see what food substitutions they are making to enjoy healthier meals.