vegan cakesMar 17, 2022
Eating delicious cakes without putting on weight (and feeling guilty afterwards) is everyone’s dream!
So now that vegan baking has gone mainstream, many people are looking at this trend with curiosity…
Are vegan cakes healthier than traditional cakes which include dairy and eggs?
If you’re want to know the answer, keep reading.
Today we’ll be talking about whether plant-based baking is healthier and more nutritious than traditional baking.
Are vegan cakes healthier?
Several ingredients used in traditional baking contain harmful nutrients such as cholesterol, saturated fat and total fat.
The most common ones include butter, cream, full-cream milk and cream cheese for example.
If you have high cholesterol, you won’t be surprised to hear that. Your doctor has certainly already told you that you should reduce your consumption of butter and cheese, right?
But that’s not all.
In addition to containing harmful nutrients, these foods are also very high in calories, which means that if you eat them regularly, you’re more likely to put on weight.
And if you’re trying to lose weight, then they definitely won’t help you reach your goal!
The good news is that vegan cakes don’t contain cholesterol at all since plant-based foods are generally free from it.
Also, if you replace butter, cream and milk with healthier ingredients such as soy or almond milk, oil and soft tofu, then you’ll also considerably reduce your intake of saturated fat.
The only plant-based oils that are high in saturated fat are coconut and palm oil, so you should use these ones less regularly.
What about margarine?
Another product you should choose carefully is margarine.
These days there are so many different brands and types that the nutritional properties can vary a lot.
Before buying margarine, you should read the nutrition facts and the ingredients list carefully.
In general, you’re looking for a product that is low in saturated fat and doesn’t contain cholesterol and trans-fat.
Those made from healthier oils, such as olive, rapeseed, sunflower or peanut, are better options.
On the contrary, when the ingredients list is too long and contains lots of ingredients you don’t know or don’t recognize (such as the E-additives), it’s better to choose another brand.
So, vegan cakes are generally healthier because they:
- don’t contain cholesterol
- are mostly lower in saturated fat (unless they contain a lot of palm or coconut oil)
- are made without eggs and dairy, so they’re generally lower in total fat and calories
… and more nutritious?
Another bonus is that in general vegan cakes contain more ingredients that taste great and are very nutritious too.
These include: fruits, nuts, seeds, dried fruits, pure cocoa and dark chocolate.
Nuts are natural supplements: they’re rich in protein, minerals (like calcium, iron and zinc), vitamins (such as B-group), dietary fibre, antioxidants and polyunsaturated fats, which are considered “good fats”.
On the other hand, fruits are full of vitamins, such as vitamin C, dietary fibre and antioxidants.
They can also be used as natural sweeteners, thus helping reduce the amount of sugar you add to your desserts.
Pure cocoa and dark chocolate are excellent sources of magnesium, iron and antioxidants.
There is also a growing trend in vegan pastry to use less refined ingredients, as well as different types of flour (for example spelt and buckwheat flour), which can help make your diet more varied and balanced.
Eating less refined foods is always a good idea as whole grains contain more fibre, minerals and vitamins compared to the refined alternatives.
What you should be careful about
But keep in mind that not all vegan cakes are necessarily healthy.
There are for example some vegan sweets widely available in shops and supermarkets that are heavily processed, high in sugar and calories and full of low-quality ingredients and harmful fats.
Therefore, the best way to make sure your vegan desserts are healthy and nutritious is to prepare them yourself!
Baking your own vegan cakes is not only fun and rewarding, it’s also the best way to feed yourself and your family with foods that are natural, healthy and nutritious.
Does this sound too complicated for you?
Don’t worry!
With just a little bit of help you’ll discover that making delicious plant-based sweets is not difficult at all.
Once you learn the basics of vegan baking, you’ll be able to prepare some fabulous cakes and even invent your own recipes.
