As prime baking season approaches quickly, many home cooks are laying in their supplies—among them the typical fats used in baking such as oil, shortening and butter. Adding fruits and vegetables to your baked goods (and removing some of the fat in the recipe) will add fiber, protein and additional nutrients that fats don’t contain. Many cherished holiday recipes can be tweaked to contain less fat with a simple substitution—without sacrificing taste or texture. Others do rely on butter for flavor and crisp texture, such as shortbread, spritz cookies and cutout sugar cookies–these would not be good choices for trying out a butter sub! Swapping out fat for more healthful ingredients isn’t difficult, but it does some comfort with experimentation.
