Baking
 

Someone turned me onto the trick of inputting all ingredients into a calorie counter, then just dividing by the number of portions to figure out each portion's calorie count.

So... I'm wondering... does this work for baking? There's no fundamental nutritional change between baking it and the raw ingredients?

Also, have any of you taken your go-to treat recipes, and figured out just how they stacked up? I was shocked to find (if this is an accurate way of measuring) that my homemade brownies are 183 calories per piece, and my chocolate chip cookie recipe comes out at 82 calories per cookie!!! That's without making any alterations to the ingredients to be a little "better."

I am rethinking my ban on home baked goods... but I'll need to reevaluate how well I can resist overeating, that's the key... and how many people might want to share them with me so they're not all just sitting in my kitchen calling out to me. Anyone else want to weigh in on the subject?

That's how I did it for my oatmeal raisin cookies. I put everything in to "myplate" and then divided it by 60 (although 60 is an estimate - sometimes I get 55 cookies and sometimes 70; I haven't perfected that part yet...) My cookies have about 94 calories in each one. I don't make them just for me but this way I know, when I make them for a party or a bake sale, that I can have one or two and what to put in my journal.

Yes, the same formula works for baked goods ;) I usually use spark people recipe calculator because most baking ingredients are already in the data base. I usually don't include ingredients like cinnamon and spice because they don't add calories. I do include baking soda in my calculations thought because of the sodium. Tweeking baking recipes can be fun but sometimes challenging because baking is more of a science than cooking. I find using Splenda and applesauce in place of sugars and oil helps tremendously. Just remember to either include a bit of regular sugar or prepare to freeze the baked good after a couple days because Splenda doesn't preserve baked goods like sugar ;)

Neon, for a long while I was just like you and denied myself baked goods all together. The problem is I really enjoy baking and indulging in that stuff. So, as you mention, I started revamping my baking recipes--much the same as I did my other foods.

I adore donuts, cakes, cookies and muffins and the like when I went out to the store. You know though, I can make something fresh at home so MUCH healthier and just as tasty at home so they don't tempt me like they once did. I can SO identify with it being a temptation to OVEREAT them once they are in the house. I bake small quantities 99% of the time though. I also send them to friends or neighbors or even put them into my children's lunch since they are healthy anyway.

I cut butter and sugar WAY down in my baked products. I also use ALL whole-wheat flour and put in some flaxseed. I will sometimes use a small amount of Splenda (not very much) or mash bananas into the recipes--or use an apple sauce. I also look for items that "bulk" baked products like oats or fruits--at least they are healthier than all the other usual things.

Anyone else have any tips or tricks they like?