No Eggs? No Problem.

A few people have mentioned to me about using flaxseed as an egg replacement, and I had never tried it until this morning. While making pancakes, I was about to use flaxseed meal to replace some of the flour when I remembered that I can use it instead of the egg! It worked great for pancakes, and the taste was great. My son ate three of them!

Eggs have more protein, but flaxseeds have fiber so use what works best for your diet. Use flaxseed if you are trying to get more Omega-3 fatty acids* in your diet, if you are out of eggs, or if you are cutting back on cholesterol and saturated fat intake.

Care2.com explains that flaxseeds are a nutritional powerhouse and sneaking some into baked goods is an easy way to get some of their wonderful nutrients into your diet. Read on for an easy tip on how to substitute flaxseeds for eggs.
 Flaxseeds are rich in alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), an essential fatty acid that appears to be beneficial for heart disease, inflammatory bowel disease, arthritis and a variety of other health conditions. They also contains a group of chemicals called lignans that may play a role in the prevention of cancer.

With all of this goodness, it seems like a great idea to get flaxseeds into one’s diet in any way possible.

To replace one egg:
1 tablespoon ground flaxseeds
3 tablespoons water (or other liquid)

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Stir together until thick and gelatinous.

You can also use whole flaxseeds:
1 tablespoon whole flaxseeds
4 tablespoons water (or other liquid) Process seeds in a blender to a fine meal, add liquid and blend well. You can make a bigger batch by increasing the ingredient amounts. Store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

*According to MayoClinic.com, flaxseeds contain a precursor to omega-3 fatty acids. These fats play a critical role in your brain function, growth and development. They may also reduce inflammation in your body and lower your risk of developing chronic diseases such as cancer, heart disease and arthritis, according the University of Maryland Medical Center. Most eggs from the grocery store don't have a significant omega-3 content, however hens that are free range and eat a large amount of grasses tend to lay eggs with a high omega-3 content. --SF Gate Flaxseed vs Eggs


Action Item: Try this in one of your baking recipes. The articles below give some helpful advice when using flaxseed.

For Further Reading: Flaxseed vs. Eggs and Flaxseed Egg Substitute

Greek Yogurt

If you're not eating Greek yogurt already, you should give it a try! We tried it a few years ago and Ron mentioned that the plain would be a good substitute for sour cream. Since then, our Mexican food is topped with a dollop of plain Greek yogurt. So good! Then I started adding it to recipes. The first time was just because I was out of something else, but it's great for baking because it keeps the items (usually cookies or muffins in my case) very moist while also adding protein!

Many people prefer Greek yogurt for the thicker, creamier texture; buy plain and add your own fruit and/or add lowfat granola for extra flavor and texture for a healthy snack. I've noticed that the individual containers have MUCH less sugar than regular yogurt (though I recommend large containers to be kind to Mother Earth). Even blueberry Greek yogurt, for example, has 6 grams of sugar in one serving and I bet 20-something in "regular" yogurt with fruit. More on that topic later.


Action item: Try using Greek yogurt this week... as a snack, in a recipe or as a substitute for sour cream.

For further reading: Baking with Greek Yogurt - I haven't tried any of these recipes, but they sure look tempting!