Zucchini bread, banana bread, pumpkin bread – a great way to add some fruits and vegetables to your child’s diet? Think again. Unforutnately, these well-intentioned quick breads (or muffins for that matter) tend to provide more sugar and flour bite for bite than actual fruit or vegetable. The good news is that it only takes a little tweak here and there to boost the nutrient content of these baked goods. Here are a few changes you can apply to standard recipes for baked goods.
1. Substitute up to half the quantity of white flour with whole wheat flour or substitute all of the white flour with whole wheat pastry flour.
2. The sugar quantity can usually be dropped in half. Try adding vanilla, nutmeg or cinnamon to intensify the sweetness.
3. Replace half of the butter or oil with applesauce, prune puree, or canned pumpkin.
4. Experiment with egg substitutions. You can replace a whole egg with 2 egg whites. You can also use flax meal as an egg replacement. For every egg, use 1 Tbsp flax seed meal and 3 Tbsp water. Whisk together and let sit for about 5 minutes. The mixture will get runny, like eggs.
5. Add additional ingredients, such as nuts, seeds, or dried fruit.