You can make your own healthy natural sweetener for use in place of processed sugar in some of the normal cakes’ and desserts’ recipes. Here is one method how using apples:
Ingredients:
- 4-5 medium apples*, peeled and cored
- 50ml water
- Pinch nutmeg or cinnamon (optional)
* use naturally sweet varieties such as Gala, Golden or Red, Delicious, Fuji, Pink Lady, Red Rome
Directions:
1. Peel, core and chop the apples into slices/chunks and place in a saucepan.
2. Pour in water, as little as possible that can still cook the apples.
3. Bring the apples to a boil, then reduce the heat.
4. Cover and simmer slowly until the apple chunks are tender (about 10-15 mins).
DON'T cook the apples to the point where the mixture actually looks like applesauce! Cooking it this long will cause it to be watery and tasteless.
5. Instead, remove the apple chunks from the pan and either puree them or mash them well. Thin with a little cooking water if necessary.
6. The applesauce is ready to be used in cakes or desserts recipe which call for sugar :-)
Tips:
1. Sprinkle with cinnamon or nutmeg and serve warm on its own (or as a soothing treat for teething babies - nice and cold).
Storage:
Freeze well for 8 weeks. TIP: If you are going to freeze your baby's applesauce, DON'T add the spices before you freeze it, because they will lose their flavour.
Note:
Avoid applesauce altogether is your baby is constipated or prone to constipation, because it is very binding and will make the problem worse.
Nutritional Value:
Apples are a good source of dietary fiber and vitamin C. Apples contain a long list of phytonutrients that function as antioxidants and support our heart health. Included in this list are quercetin, catechin, phloridzin and chlorogenic acid. Apples also contain flavonoids, which have repeatedly been shown to help lower risk of heart disease, and also to improve problems with heart disease once it has occurred.
Apples may help maintain good healthy by promoting cardiovascular health by lowering LDL cholesterol and inhibiting LDL oxidation, and reducing the risk of certain types of stroke; maintaining a healthy weight, as part of a low-fat, fiber-rich diet; promoting lung health, by countering the effects of oxidative damage; promoting prostate, liver and colon health, by inhibiting the growth of related cancer tumors; and promoting bone health, by providing a good source of the dietary mineral boron.
References:
http://www.homemade-baby-food-recipes.com/fruit-baby-food-recipes.html
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