Dieting: Easier in 2009 Thanks To New Secret Ingredient

If life is a constant struggle between the foods you love and the pounds you gain there’s good news. A new way to make high fat foods healthier promises to revolutionize the diet food industry and how we lose weight. – Colette Bouchez

If you’re struggling with a blossoming spare tire or that over-40 bulging belly you’re not alone. Indeed millions of Americans feel your pain – and share the daily struggles between appetite and waistline.

But that battle is about to get a little bit easier in 2009, with a brand new natural ingredient designed to reduce fat content by as much as 75% in some of the most tempting and fattening of all foods – cakes, pies, muffins and other baked goods.

What’s more, that ingredient comes from one of the most unlikely sources – tapioca starch.

Yup, that same ingredient that was the basis for all those yummy puddings you ate as a kid is the secret ingredient that could just save your mid-age waistline - and even your heart health – as it replaces traditional fats and oils in otherwise high calorie baked goods.

In fact, the new ingredient, known as N-Dulge FR, promises to revolutionize what we think of in terms of fattening foods.

“"Our new ingredient offers a solution, meaning customers don't have to compromise on the eating enjoyment they associate with cake. Plus, by reducing the use of butter by up to 75 per cent, bakery manufacturers can achieve more significant fat reduction than has previously been possible,” said Alison Knight, the European technical development manager for National Starch Food Innovation, the Manchester, England company who developed the new ingredient.

In addition to removing a huge chunk of the fats in the recipe, N-Dulge FR also offers up a 30% reduction in calories, without losing the texture and consistency of a high –fat recipe.

The Fat Replacement: How It Works

With more than 18 months in developmental testing, this new ingredient is a combination of dextrin (a group of water-soluble low molecular weight carbohydrates from starch) and other components of the starch itself.

And while there is a processing procedure involved in creating the new fat replacement, because there is no chemical change on a molecular level, the ingredients are still considered natural. Even more important, there shouldn’t be any unexpected surprises in how the body accepts or digests the fat replacement.

This is key for anyone who had problems with previous fat replacers like olestra, which can cause a more rapid food transit in some people, leading to diarrhea.

The Taste Test: And A Big Surprise

While the science behind fat replacement may be impressive, it doesn’t mean much if ultimately, it tastes like you’re eating the box and not the cake.

The good news here: In a series of blind taste tests conducted by the company, most of the testers found they were unable to differentiate between the control cake ( baked with traditional fats) and the low-fat varieties baked with the new fat substitute.

What’s more, even though all of the cakes were baked on the same day, in the same ovens, only hours apart, most of the tasters indicated they preferred the cakes made with N-Dulge FR over traditional butter-baked cakes, including pound cakes, citing better taste, texture, springiness and volume in the low-fat varieties.

In fact, 40 percent of the testers were convinced that the control cake made with butter was really the low fat cake, indicating the taste and texture of the "real" cake was inferior!

Cakes , Muffins & Cookies: Not A Low Fat Grand Slam

Although the new ingredient works well in cakes, particularly yummy and uber fattening pound cakes, the bad news is N-Dulge FR isn’t equally as successful in all baked goods.

Indeed, when tried in muffin recipes, so far only 30% of the fat can be replaced without significantly altering the taste. Although the company adds that on an individual basis, there may be some muffin recipes where up to 50% of the fat can be replaced without affecting taste or texture.

Moreover, if those luscious, thick, soft-baked cookies are the only goody that fills your sweet tooth, you may have to wait a while before your snack ship comes in. When N-Dulge FR was tried in cookie recipes, a 30% reduction in fats was the max, or the end result, according to tasters, was a bit like “cookie rocks”.

So why does it work so well to replace fat in cakes and not in all baked goods? It seems it all comes down to the cake-making process, which is simply easier to alter then other baked goods.

“It is a lot easier to get a good cake than a good muffin with a light, airy texture,” said Knight.

N-Dulge FR will be making its way into many commercially made European baked goods starting almost immediately. It may take a bit longer to make it to the United States, but you're likely start seeing these yummy treats hit US store shelves sometime in 2009.

You might also enjoy reading:
Yogurt: The New-Old Wonder Food
The Supplement That Curbs Your Sweet Tooth Naturally

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Copyright by Colette Bouchez 2009 - All Rights Reserved.
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