The trick to getting your family to eat right isn't to force-feed them foods you already know they hate.
Leave the tofu ice cream or carob-covered rice cakes on the supermarket shelves this season and get creative by incorporating healthful twists into traditional spring desserts your family already loves.
Only one in 10 Americans is getting the recommended amount of whole grain. One way to sneak more whole grain onto your family's plates is to bake it into their favorite desserts.
Delectable seasonal treats like fresh berry crisps, fruit breads, berry muffins and scones all can be baked using whole wheat flour or whole oats. Even that perennial favorite, the chocolate chip cookie can incorporate whole wheat flour - without your family tasting a difference.
If you are new to baking with whole wheat flour, it can seem overwhelming at first because you can't automatically substitute it for white flour in most recipes, since it behaves differently.
With this in mind, on behalf of Gold Medal Whole Wheat Flour, the experts at the Betty Crocker Kitchens have created a series of free recipes incorporating whole wheat flour into classic recipes. You can visit www.goldmedalwholewheat.com to access these recipes, along with tips to adapt your own recipes using whole wheat flour.
"Whole wheat flour has a nutritional boost because of natural antioxidants, fiber, B-vitamins, and plant nutrients," said David Eisen, Marketing Manager Flour and Heritage Desserts. "The 2005 Dietary Guidelines recommend making half your grains whole. Small changes throughout the diet can add up for big health benefits. Learning how to successfully substitute whole wheat flour in a favorite recipe is a great start to meeting your whole grain needs."
However, all whole wheat flours are not created equal. Different milling methods can affect the way a certain brand of whole wheat flour works in a recipe, so it's important to choose the right one when substituting whole wheat flour in baked goods.
Some whole wheat flours are coarse, which can interfere with gluten development in baked goods. But such flours as Gold Medal flour are specially milled to even, medium fine granulation, making them extremely versatile and adaptable for baking breads, pancakes and cookies.
Whole wheat flour cannot always be substituted one-to-one for white flour, though. Whole wheat flour absorbs more liquid than all-purpose flour, so it's sometimes necessary to increase the liquid in recipes when making a flour substitution.
"Baking more healthful desserts is all about substitution," said Eisen. "You can swap out unhealthy ingredients for more healthful alternatives and can sneak more whole grains into recipes."
Here's a delicious recipe for chocolate chip cookies made with whole wheat flour:
Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients:
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
2 cups Gold Medal whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 bag (12 oz) semisweet chocolate chips (2 cups)
Heat oven to 375F.
In large bowl, mix sugars, butter, vanilla and egg until blended.
Stir in flour, baking soda and salt (dough will be stiff).
Stir in chocolate chips.
On ungreased cookie sheets, drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls about two inches apart. Bake eight to ten minutes or until light brown (centers will be soft). Cool two minutes; remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Yields three dozen cookies.