This is the second in our series of articles designed to help you enjoy a healthy, happy holiday season!
The sweet and spicy aroma of freshly-baked Christmas cookies wafting through your home makes memories that will last for years after the last gift is unwrapped.
If your willpower gets a bit wobbly around anything with icing, you’re not alone! This is a tough time of year for anyone who’s cutting the carbs. Here are some tummy-friendly recipes that are just as tasty as their high-carb counterparts.
Many sugar substitutes contain even more carbs than refined sugar; others replace refined sugar with gas-producing sugar alcohols. According to registered dietitian Janet Renee’s recent LiveStrong article: “Consuming over 50 grams of erythritol may result in nausea or stomach rumbling. There are some people who report side effects such as diarrhea, stomach upset, and headache after consuming regular amounts of erythritol in food or beverages.”
You’ll need eight times that 50-gram benchmark to equal the amount called for in a typical cookie recipe, but many people eat at least that much during the holiday season. If you routinely nibble two or three cookies a day throughout December, you may want to rethink erythritol.
Note: To save carbs and eliminate the possibility of erythritol-related gastric distress, bake with stevia. Bookmark Stevita Stevia’s conversion chart for handy reference.
All Day I Dream About Food.com is a great resource for low-carb holiday baking info!
Be advised that these recipes call for a sugar replacement that combines erythritol and oligosaccharides (see above). Replace the recommended sweetener with NOW Foods Organic Better Stevia Extract Powder (see Note, above, for recipe conversion info).
Chocolate-Orange Spritz Cookies
Yield: 90 cookies Serving size: 2 cookies Carbs: 4 grams/1% DV Calories: 91
Walnut Cardamom Snowballs
Yield: 36 cookies Serving size: 2 cookies Carbs: 9 grams/3% DV Calories: 248
It would take three times the amount of xanthan gum in this recipe calls for to trigger gas and bloating for most people, but you can substitute arrowroot if you’d rather avoid it altogether.
Magic Cookie Bar
Yield: 36 cookies Serving size: 2 cookies Carbs: 10 grams/3% DV Calories: 324
This recipe also call for xanthan gum. See above for cautions.
Cranberry Pecan Biscotti
Yield: 15 cookies Serving size: 1 cookie Carbs: 10 grams/3% DV Calories: 164
This recipe calls for xanthan gum, which can cause gas. However, it’s usually well-tolerated if you eat fewer than 6 teaspoons. At only 1/2 teaspoon in the 15-cookie yield, it’s unlikely to cause problems.
Whether you’re baking for your family or for everyone in your circle, these recipes are sure to please!
If making merry causes gas and bloating, two CharcoCaps® capsules will get you back in the holiday spirit in no time!
CharcoCaps® dietary supplement relieves gas and bloating FAST!* Enjoy your favorite foods without worry! *These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Additional Sources:
Stevita Stevia conversion chart
http://www.stevitastevia.com/conversion-chart
Grams to ounces conversion chart
http://www.rapidtables.com/convert/weight/gram-to-ounce.htm
Buy Stevia powder:
NOW Foods Organic Better Stevia Extract Powder,a pure stevia, is highly recommended. It contains no additives and therefore has none of the aftertaste associated with cheaper imitations. A bit pricey, but – at press time – this source offered the best value per ounce. You’ll only need 4Tbsp. to equal one cup of sugar.
About Swerve
http://www.swervesweetener.com/about-swerve/
LiveStrong: The Benefits and Risks of Erythritol as a Sweetener http://www.livestrong.com/article/556918-the-disadvantages-of-erythritol/