Substitute Ingredients for Common Allergies

Substituting ingredients to accommodate allergies and intolerances may have other implications. For instance, gluten free products may not be as nutritious because wholesome ingredients are often replaced with starches that are broken down by the digestive system into sugars, thus stored as fat, if not used as energy. It is possible to produce good and nutritious products to accommodate most diets but it requires re-developing baking formulas.

• Psyllium powder (high absorption rate), carob flour and mesquite flour are high in dietary fibers.
• Carob flour is suitable to replace cocoa powder and is a preferred ingredient in vegan baking or cooking.
• Chia and flax seeds contain omega-3 fats, are high in fiber, and provide good binding and absorption qualities.
• Eggs, although not desired in low cholesterol diets, have essential amino acids and provide structure, support binding, and contribute to volume.
• Butter used to aim for rich and tender products are replaced with various plant or vegetable oils for vegan friendly baking.
• Nut flours consisting of hazelnut, macadamia, cashew, and walnut are excellent sources if high protein and complex fiber products, but these flours typically have higher fat content.
• Other ingredients that are high in calcium are almonds, Brazil nuts, various bean, and lentil flours as well as flax and teff.
• Fruit and berries, dry or fresh, are great alternatives to sugars and some have significant amounts of antioxidants. These along with various seeds such as pumpkin, sesame and numerous low fat nuts enhance the nutritional value of wholesome products.

Milk Allergies

People with lactose intolerance need to follow a lactose-restricted diet. Instead of butter, several nut butters such as almond or seed butters: including pumpkin or tahini (made from sesame seeds), can be used. Instead of using milk, numerous non-dairy milks lend themselves well to baking. Applesauce, mashed bananas, and soft tofu are good replacements for yogurt in baking.

Egg Allergies

People, with allergies to either yolks or egg whites, or both, follow egg-free diets. Soy emulsifiers are suitable for replacing egg yolks. Powders made from soy and methylcellulose are suitable for whipping and are a good replacement for eggs and can be used with water in Genoise or cake batters. Since eggs have leavening, properties and egg yolks contain fat and emulsifiers, leavening agents and fats can be added to certain baking formulas. There are many nutritious egg-free products made without eggs. These include granola bars, and desserts that are fruit based.

Substituting Sugar with Other Sweeteners

Due to many consumers’ concerns about processed and refined sugars, the use of “natural sugars” is on the rise in the food industry. The term natural can be misleading, and used here to refer to non-conventional sugars, which include maple syrup, honey, agave sugar, date, coconut, and muscovado sugar (also known as Barbados sugar). Honey is sweeter than granulated sugar; other non-conventional sugars are less sweet. Agave sugar gained popularity in the food industry because it is more affordable than maple syrup. All these sugars are used to replace granulated sugar, but some modifications in the baking formulas are required. For example, if granulated sugar is replaced with maple syrup or agave syrup, a baker needs to take into account the moisture in these sugars. Some manufacturers of maple syrup and agave syrup claim these sugars have a low glycemic index (GI) and antioxidant properties. Brown sugars are used to replace granulated sugars. These are granulated sugars that have molasses added, which is a by-product of sugar production.

Many ingredients such as berries, fruit, and purees also added to products to replace some sugar without significantly changing baking formulas.

Although there are many sugar substitutes available for diabetic diets, it is important to use them following the manufacturers’ guidelines as some exceed the sweetness of granulated sugars. Sugar substitutes are considered additives and many could pose health risks if consumed in high amounts. Government guidelines must be adhered to in order to declare a food product sugar free. Nutritious food products are produced for diabetic diets when wholesome ingredients have a low glycemic index are used. It is important, however, to list all ingredients in such products as well as those in any food products intended for people with dietary restrictions.