How do you manage to bake homemade desserts and not eat the entire batch? I LOVE home-baked desserts (cookies/brownies/cupcakes/muffins), but it's so hard to keep multiple servings in the house and not eat the entire thing! (I live alone.) The only strategy that I have found to work for me is to bake the dessert, immediately take most of it over to my neighbor's, and then come back and eat my serving. This way, there's no temptation to go back for thirds and fourths and fifths and...
Of course, I feel like I am spending a lot of time and money making things that I eat only one serving of, which is frustrating...but most recipes are really hard to make in fourths...it's tough to measure out a third or a fourth of an egg, and when I have tried to scale a recipe down to 1/4 or 1/6, it usually does not turn out the same...which leads me to eating more of it, trying to get satisfied because it doesn't taste like the recipe should! So to satisfy my craving for that specific home-baked dessert, I feel like my only option is to make larger batches that are more than one person should be eating, and then dealing with the temptation of eating more than a serving or two per day.
I can't even keep the stuff in the freezer, either -- it's too delicious and tempting! I have made that mistake many times, and...not willing to go there again.
How do you handle home baking and still manage to reach your weight goals?
Last edited by DoingMyBest79; 01-26-2013 at 02:22 PM.
I love to bake, but I don't ever do it unless I have some event or something where I know they'll all get eaten. If I were to bake cookies just because I wanted one- I would eat the entire batch!
If I am DYING for something I make little mug brownies, but other than that I just try to avoid it all together!
I just did a little googling and found a recipe for a single serving of chocolate chip cookies on food.com. it was called "chocolate chip cookie for one!" looked like it was about 400 calories for the whole recipe. A recipe specifically geared toward making a smaller amount might be worth a try. I very much believe that you shouldn't have to give up anything you love for health/weightloss-hope you can find something that works for you!
I enjoy baking, and when it's something like cookies, I bake a variety, enjoy the one that's calling the most to me, and take the rest to the USO at our airport, packaged nicely. It turns into an "event" and not about me - there's no regret with baking and giving that away - and boy, is it appreciated! Maybe there are groups there that you really believe in what they're doing (humane society, etc.), and would like to support in a way. I leave my business card and a note saying how much I appreciate what they do, so it's not like anonymous food.
Even if you're wanting something like coffee cake, do it in a disposable 8x8 pan, and do one small portion for you in a muffin pan - just put one serving in a muffin cup ...
Thanks, everyone! Great ideas! I never thought about searching for individual serving recipes. I will definitely check out that cookie recipe!
Love the idea of turning the focus away from me -- baking for an event; a good cause, and then just taking a serving for myself! I think this might work for me -- weight loss/maintenance is so mental for me, and if I tell myself that I'm baking for someone else, and just allowing myself to sample some before I give it to the people it's intended for, that may make it a lot easier to eat one serving like a normal person!!!!
Danzingurl - it's so hard for me to resist, too! That's why I have not baked much during my entire weight loss journey! But I want to be able to enjoy some of my old favorites without having to give them up forever, so I'm hoping these strategies will work!
I guess I'm lucky...I have a son and lots to events to bake for! I was planning to bake a big cinnamon bread thing (pula if anyone knows Finnish cooking...and my weakness) and then take it to rugby to give to parents and 5-6 yr olds. I was really wanting some myself... Turns out I didn't have time to make it...just as well as training was cancelled.
I've taken a hiatus from baking until I can control myself around it. Luckily I don't often have events to bake for and when I bake for my boyfriend he takes it all home - I make sure of it.
Baking is my downfall. Fortunately, the baked good is not tempting, but the batter is - cookie dough, cake batter, frosting - YUM!
I make all our family's snack food and bread. Breads are easy to avoid as they don't have edible dough. Cookies and cakes are HARD, but once they are baked, I'm not tempted any more. Now if I could just learn to not sample the dough which then spins out of control to eating like 3-4 cookies worth, it would be great!
I guess for me, it is the fact I tend to do it for hobby alone. I grew up in a family laced with diabetics and being the only one NOT diabetic, I find myself driven to not eat sweets or starches as a rule. I do it from time to time, sure, but after years of watching family members put what was essentially poison in their mouths, I tend to stay away from it. I have had three family members die of diabeties, so for me, it is rather easy. I see sweets as a poison to my body. Whereas I frequently bake, I usually do it for people outside of my home. My daughter, although nearly 4, already knows that sweets are a no-no for us and only occasionally will ask for one. Even if I have 100 cupcakes out on the counter, she won't even budge towards them. I guess in my case, it is upbringing more than will power. And a theory that the sugar will kill me if I eat too much.
Usually I don't post in this forum, but since this is a problem I've dealt with and have found a solution for myself, I had to post.
Buy ramekins! For real. There's so much you can make with them, and they're little portion controlled gifts from the Heavens. I love baking, but I know if I bake a whole fruit cobbler or chocolate cake, even a healthy one, that my DBF and I will just overeat. With ramekins, however, I can make a serving a piece of a healthier (still not great always) baked dessert for after supper. I try not to do it too often, but once a week I'll usually bake a little something sweet for after supper. Or, I'll get a little frozen yogurt and divvy it out in them. My DBF and I both have pretty wicked sweet tooths, but I've found making a quality dessert once a week that we can both look forward to saves us from eating lower quality sweets all week long.
I actually went to school for pastry arts. I used to go crazy during the holidays and birthdays and weekends and basically any excuse I could find to bake. I haven't baked since I started this lifestyle change, except for clients. It's difficult. For my father's birthday I made baked apples.
there is no control for me! i usually eat it all by myself except if i know we have guests coming over...it's also cheaper to buy pastries and there is no mess in the kitchen or i ask my mom to bake something and that way i'm more in control.
Wow, I see I'm not alone I have 4 kids still at home and I LOVE to bake for them but I am the same as a lot of pp I just cannot control myself around the batter or the end product, a sweet prepackaged from a store I don't care too much about but if I have a pan of brownies around I simply do not have the willpower to handle it, so except for Sunday evenings where it is a tradition for me to make brownies while we watch our favorite show as a family I simple don't bake either. I do miss it. A lot actually but kind of like an alcoholic who has to stay out of bars, I just stay away from it.
In addition to all of the above, here's something else that i do: bake a version of it that is a little more healthy AND does not taste quite as good. In fact i do this with everything, not just baking. I can do it because i live alone, so i'm just cooking for myself. For example, if i'm cooking any dish (curry, pasta, whatever) i'll add a ton of frozen spinach to it. This makes it more healthy, adds bulk, and cuts down on the fat/salt/etc (proportionally i mean. The intention is that you eat less of it since you have the spinach). I find that if my food is not loaded with salt and sugar, it's not quite as addictive. So not only is it healthier, i also have an easier time controlling myself.
Making home-baked goods - how do you manage it?
