A Little Known Cactus

The same dessert cactus that is responsible for the production of tequila also produces one of the most versatile and nutritionally valuable sweeteners. Agave nectar from the blue agave cactus is lower in glycemic load than honey or sugar, about twice as sweet as sugar, so not as much is needed for recipes. It is naturally produced and performs just as well in baking recipes as it dissolves into cold beverages. This can be a replacement for refined sugar in almost any recipe and goes well in coffee and tea. Agave nectar can be somewhat expensive, but by far Trader Joe's and Good Earth have the best everyday values. Agave nectar is an unrefined sugar, which is easier for the body to process.

It has the same amount of carbohydrates as honey, which some may mistake as the same glycemic load. In actuality, however, glycemic load is measured by multiplying the glycemic index by the carbohydrate count and then dividing it by 100. Anything with a glycemic load under 10 is considered low, anything over 20 is high, and anything in between is considered medium. Foods with a low glycemic load will contain sustained energy that the body uses over a long period of time and will not cause blood sugar spikes . Honey has a glycemic index of 63, compared to 30 of agave nectar, and half as much is needed in recipe substitutions or normal sweetening practices. 

Agave syrup can substitute maple syrup, sugar, honey, brown rice syrup and any other common sweetener. It can become too sweet very quickly, so adding in small amounts and taste testing is a good idea, but in most cases reducing the called for amount of sugar or honey by half works just fine. Brown rice syrup should be an equal substitution, since it is also very concentrated in sweetness.

Here is a quick table of some glycemic comparisons:

	Carbohydrates (g)	x	Glycemic Index	/	100	=	Glycemic Load
1 Medium Apple	21	x	54	/	100	=	11.3
1 regular cola (12 oz)	40.5	x	90	/	100	=	36.4
1 tbsp honey	15	x	63	/	100	=	9.45
1 tbsp agave nectar	15	x	30	/	100	=	4.5

Baking without Eggs

Eggs have been the subject of many a food studies over the years resulting in headlines of "Eggs are good!" only to be  followed by "Eggs are bad!" Vegans omit eggs as part of their diets for ethical reasons, and others avoid the yolks for fear of high cholesterol. Removing the typical omelet or scramble from the menu might be easy, but when it comes to baked goods sometimes eggs are hard to replace. Egg substitutes work, but are often hard to find and expensive. 

Depending on the recipe there are two fruity ways to avoid using fake eggs. Applesauce can be substituted in a 1/4 cup to one egg ratio. This works quite well, and it is fairly easy now to find applesauce with no high-fructose corn syrup. The only difference in a baked cake normally is that the applesauce cake ends up being more moist. It's a good idea to measure all the wet ingredients and add them in small increments, possibly not adding all of them. If making something from scratch adding a bit of flour can correct any problems with consistency. Applesauce is a great way to cut calories and fat, too.

Bananas are another great way to bind ingredients in a recipe, especially brownies or chocolate cakes, not to mention banana nut bread. Bananas add a lot more flavor than applesauce, so the best way to determine which fruit to substitute is whether banana flavor would suit the recipe better. A medium sized very ripe banana will take the place of two eggs in a recipe. If bananas aren't ripe, a quick  spin in the microwave will help soften them. Each banana is about 100 calories, so it is still a bit of a savings heading into spring and summer.