If you are one of the many people who have had to make some lifestyle or dietary changes – fear not – you can still have your sweets and enjoy them too. My goal for this article was to find some delicious, commercially available desserts that would fit into one or more of the most popular categories, namely gluten free (or low carb), vegan or sugar free.
Having to modify your diet for either health or personal reasons may seem a little overwhelming at first, because there are so many new things to learn…or rather, re-learn. Developing a new and acceptable meal plan will have you considering many new theories and ideas, in addition to new flavors and textures.
The popularity of gluten free foods exploded onto the scene a few years ago, and was spawned by the urgency of debilitating symptoms cause by a new diagnosis called Celiac disease. After this type of diagnosis comes the reality that if you are suffering from this illness, or some form of gluten allergy, many mainstream products you have grown up with are now off limits. Receiving this type of news may be disconcerting- but don’t worry – it can be easily dealt with if you keep a few things in mind.
Gluten is a very sticky protein that is found in flour products made from wheat, durum, kamut, spelt, barley (or any malt derivatives), rye, triticale and semolina. Some medical practitioners suggest that you should also add oats to this list since much of what is sold on the market may be contaminated with gluten when grown in rotation with wheat in the field. A cross-contamination of any of the safe grains may also occur at any point during the the manufacturing process if equipment is shared. This may happen during the milling, bagging or even the transport of these items. Gluten free products should be manufactured in a dedicated facility using gluten-free practices. So to ensure your safety, make sure that all of your purchases are labeled gluten free.
Some of the grains that are considered acceptable for a gluten free diet are quinoa, amaranth, arrowroot, millet, pure buckwheat, Indian rice grass flour (sold under the montina brand), sorghum, taro and teff. Legume flours such as lupin or chickpea (gram flour) offer their own unique flavor and color, and are commonly found in gluten free baked goods. The use of nut flours, like almond or coconut, are commonly found in gluten free products and are generally added to increase the fiber or protein content. When nut flours are added to commercially made products, they are directly reflected in the price. The addition of golden flax seeds and chia seeds also boost fiber and protein content and are also suitable (and recommended) in your gluten free foods.
When going through the process of discovering what you can and cannot eat, it’s always easy to begin with prepared foods. Some items like sauces, salad dressings and even beer may seem somewhat innocuous, but are actually problematic. Many sauces and dressings contain gluten based thickeners and beer is made from barley – so unless they are labeled gluten free, make sure to leave them on the shelf.
When I attended the Summer Fancy Food Show in NYC and the Natural Foods Expo East in Baltimore, I discovered many other delicious gluten free, vegan and sugar free items, so make sure to check out those articles for additional product information. After speaking with some of the manufacturers at these shows, I discovered the provenance surrounding the development of their product lines. In most instances, they were created out of a need that came about within their own families. Whether it was a husband, wife, child or parent that was now dealing with significant health issues that required immediate dietary changes, the family came together to create delicious and nutritious recipes that they could all enjoy without sacrifice. As a result, these small businesses were born out of the need for good, wholesome food.
When it comes to breads, cakes and cookie products, wheat gluten is what contributes to the elasticity, texture and mouth feel of a product. If you are creating gluten-free baked goods, wheat products are excluded and other ingredients must be added to mimic the texture and fluffiness we know and love about baked goods. Not all of these other ingredients are equal in nutritional value, so be careful when sourcing gluten free products and adding them into your meal plan. Additives like xantham gum, guar gum, cellulose fiber or starchy flours like cornstarch (cornflour), potato (including sweet potato), rice or tapioca (derived from the cassava root) are commonly used to compensate for the lack of gluten. The use of these products may or may not be a problem for you, so it really depends on your overall health. While eliminating gluten and solving one problem, you don’t want to add other ingredients that may cause you other problems down the road. Some of these ingredients may be adding unnecessary carbohydrates or calories, and if you are also a diabetic, you may want to be a little more cautious. Make sure to read both the ingredient list and the nutritional labels before adding any new item to you meal plan.
Another lifestyle change that many have embraced is something called a vegan lifestyle, which is very different from the more commonly discussed vegetarian way of life. Many years ago, the definition of a vegetarian included those people who only consumed plant based foods. These days, the term has evolved to include lacto-ovo vegetarians who also eat eggs and dairy, and pescatarians who eat all types of seafood. On the other end of the spectrum are vegans, who define themselves by excluding all animal products from their diet. This would include eggs, dairy (milk, butter & cheese) and all meat. Some people who follow vegan diets consume only raw food and others allow cooked food. Many believe that the nutritional power and value of foods is destroyed when the food is cooked. Most of the vegans that I have met follow a combination of both cooked and raw meals that incorporate not only the best nutritional gain but also maximum enjoyment of food.
Surprisingly enough, there are many delicious, commercially available vegan desserts. You might think that the lack of eggs or butter would create a problem, but creative bakers have found ways to add the necessary mouth feel and binding properties without them.
Another more common lifestyle change is sugar restriction. The very insidious disease known as diabetes has presented itself in both the young and old, and is a direct result of a damaged pancreas. Whether genetically fueled or diet related, it has been found that diabetes is an inflammatory disease that wreaks havoc on just about every organ in the body. Once diagnosed, you may have to be prescribed pancreatic enzymes to help your pancreas manage your body’s glucose levels or you may even have to use insulin in more severe cases when the pancreas is no longer working effectively.
Sugar free desserts are also one of those products that are not created equal. Many sugar substitutes have a terrible aftertaste and others cannot be used in baked goods. Some are created in a laboratory and others are extracted by complicated and toxic chemical processes. Choosing the right sugar substitute is a personal decision, so make sure to use the one that works best for you.
Recently, there has been much talk of natural sweeteners with a low glycemic index. The glycemic index is a way of measuring the relative impact of foods on blood sugar levels. For example, foods with a high glycemic index like bread, pastries, cookies and pasta are high in carbohydrates which the body quickly converts to sugar, causing a quick rise in blood sugar. Contrarily, foods with few carbohydrates will result in a low glycemic index and little or no significant rise in blood sugar levels. There are charts online that provide a comparison of different food items along with their glycemic load, and if you are someone who needs to significantly reduce or monitor carbohydrate consumption, it is good to familiarize yourself with the important numbers.
Some of the more common natural sweeteners with a low glycemic index include products like agave, monk fruit (also known as luo han guo), coconut palm sugar, stevia, lucuma (derived from the Peruvian egg fruit), raw honey, yacon, date sugar, brown rice syrup or barley malt syrup. Although some of these alternatives offer a lower glucose load, they may still contain the same number of calories as sugar. The best way to find the sugar substitute that is right for you is to simply try them and see what you think. Many people try stevia and experience a horrible aftertaste, whereas others don’t notice it at all.
Below are several items that we evaluated as alternative desserts for modified diets. We evaluated the overall taste, texture and sweetness as compared to their mainstream counterparts. All of these dessert items would make great additions to any new or modified eating plan that you may be following. Each item is perfectly delicious to share on any holiday dessert table and guaranteed to satisfy even the toughest critics.
Delicious Alternative Desserts (Gluten Free, Vegan & Sugar Free)
Bobbilicious Baking Company makes some great tasting cookies that are both gluten free AND vegan. I managed to pick up some samples of their b. chocolate walnut chip, b. chocolatey chocolate and b. pure energy bar. These 2 ounce cookies are soft and delicious with the perfect level of sweetness. The main ingredient is almond flour which creates a soft and moist texture. Their choice of sweetener is agave and not much else. The energy bar uses a combination of dried fruit and nuts to create a soft, delicious power bar that can be enjoyed as a meal replacement or something in between. These can be a little pricey at $3.00 per cookie but they are quite large and easily enough for two.
Andean Dream Quinoa Cookies makes a unique, crispy shortbread type of cookie that are just delicious with a cup of coffee. These cookies are gluten free, corn free AND vegan. They are individually wrapped in little foil packs to maintain freshness. I picked up the coconut flavor to try and when I looked on the ingredient list, I found that tapioca flour appears as the second ingredient on the label. Sweeteners are raw sugar and sugar cane syrup, so they are definitely NOT sugar free, but they are also not very sweet with a pleasant coconut flavor.
Harvard Sweets Boutique makes some extraordinarily delicious cookies and brownies. They were kind enough to send me some samples of their products and I will say that their items are almost indistinguishable from a really delicious mainstream cookie or brownie. The cookies are crispy on the outside and chewy in the middle, and their brownies are just perfectly fudgy. Their base ingredients are white rice flour, brown rice flour and coconut flour, but they do also add cornstarch, tapioca flour, potato starch and xantham gum. If you are not bothered by the use of these ingredients, then you will love all of their items.
Coconut Bliss Ice Cream is truly one of the best gluten free and vegan ice creams I have ever had. I discovered them last year at the Summer Fancy Food show in NYC, and since then, I have seen their products in a few local stores. Their ice cream is organic and is based on coconut milk. They have a full line of different flavors, and to date I have tried the coconut, chocolate brownie, salted caramel & chocolate and cappuccino flavors. Most ice creams that use coconut milk have an underlying coconut flavor, and the same is true here. Out of all of the flavors that I have tasted thus far, the cappuccino flavor is the one that has the least underlying coconut essence which is actually not noticeable at all. So for all of you gluten free or vegan folks out there who need something delicious but are not fans of coconut, trial and error will be the name of the game in finding a flavor that works for you. They do use organic guar gum as a thickener in all of their ice creams. For flavors that include brownie or cookie pieces, like the ginger cookie caramel and the chocolate walnut brownie flavors, you will find the cookie and brownie ingredients to contain organic brown rice flour, organic rice flour, tapioca starch and xanthan gum. One pint will run you about $6.50, and although it is a hefty price, it is truly delicious.
Wink Frozen Desserts is the first company that I have come across that is not only gluten free, but also free of fat, sugar, soy, nuts, dairy and eggs. Their products would fit into just about any diet modification category, and are safe for every tummy. Needless to say I was curious to try this product and was surprised at how good they really are. By law, they cannot call themselves an ice cream because they do not use dairy or the requisite amount of fat to be called ice cream. After trying it, I must say that it is very reminiscent of ice milk. It is sweetened with monk fruit and also includes a vegetable glycerin, tapioca flour, xantham gum and guar gum to create a smoother texture. If you really need to be careful in your meal plan and are also required to watch your calorie intake, keep in mind that each half cup serving is only 25 calories. These come in 5 flavors: cake batter, cinnamon bun, cocoa dough, iced latte and choco mint. My favorite was definitely the iced latte. These are found in many local markets in and around NYC, so if you come across their product, you should definitely give them a try.
Sinfull Bakery sent a huge box of samples that were enough for everyone to try over and over again. Most of their products are exclusively vegan and one sample was gluten free. The vegan samples included a pumpkin cream cheese cake which was simply scrumptious, along with some cookies that included chocolate chip, peanut butter, cranberry orange, oatmeal raisin and something called an everything bar. Each cookie was large, moist, flavorful and packed with chocolate chips, raisins and cranberries. They each weighed a substantial 3ounces each. The everything bar reminded me of a soft granola bar and were so good, that we could not stop eating them. Coming in at 4 ounces each they were filling and satisfying on every level. The only disappointment in the bunch was the double chocolate gluten free cookie, whose primary ingredients are rice flour, sorghum flour and potato starch which offered an unpleasing, gritty texture. For now, until they have had a chance to make some necessary adjustments to their gluten free recipe, I would stick to their delicious vegan items.
Alternative Baking Company makes some of the most delicious vegan cookies I have ever tasted. We tried their colossal chocolate chip, peanut butter and double chocolate decadence cookies. The cookies are a hefty 4.25 ounces and large enough for two to share, and I will tell you that it was hard not to eat the whole thing myself. They are sweetened with fruit juices and also use tapioca and potato starch in their ingredients. The cookie is thick, large and deliciously chewy. Each cookie packed a huge flavor punch and the peanut butter sample even had finely chopped peanuts for a little extra crunch. These were truly delicious and you cannot go wrong with any of these flavors.
Adrienne’s Classic Creations makes one delicious sugar free cheesecake. I checked out their website which offers many different items for purchase online and many others in local stores. The item we tasted and loved was the strawberry swirl cheesecake. It was delicate and smooth, just like a cheesecake should be. This product is sweetened with something called whey low. This is a patented blend of sucrose, fructose and lactose that is easily digestible, even for those who are lactose intolerant. The company uses this sugar replacement in all of their sugar free products which offers a low glycemic index. I am glad to say that there was no aftertaste at all with the whey low substitute, and this is one dessert that I would be proud to offer on my dessert table or as a holiday gift.
For more information on these products, click the company name which offers a link back to each company’s website.
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