Attention to pastries

Normally when we think of confectionery we think very caloric and that consuming them generates respect for us if we want to take care of the line. In general, this is the case, since pastry products, sweets, pasta, etc. are foods with a significant caloric content, therefore we must limit your consumption a lot si want to make intakes without exceeding calories. As a general rule they provide around 400 Kcal per 100 g of product, reaching up to 500 Kcal in some cases such as puff pastry or shortbread. But not everything is calories, we must take into account what else this type of food provides us.

CONTRIBUTION OF SUGARS

Carbohydrates are an important part of baking. They are products mainly based on flours, sugars and fats, which we will talk about later. On a nutritional level, carbohydrates usually represent half or more of a pastry product. Between 45 and 50% of the calories in a millefeuille of cream and cream come from carbohydrates, among which we find fast absorbing sugars. Sugars usually represent 20% of bakery products.

FATS AND OILS

Fats are also a fundamental part of pastry. Cream, butter, oil, are usually an essential part of these products. Generally, fats represent about a 21% of the final product (between 16 and 25%). What should be noted is that generally the type of fat used in confectionery is based on saturated fatty acids, since it usually exceeds 10%, compared to the 7-8% that can represent monounsalaturated fatty acids, and less than 2% of polyunsaturated. This does not leave this type of food in a very good place as we remember that saturated fats are related to an increase in cardiovascular risk.

CHOLESTEROL

In addition to the saturated fats that we have just mentioned, bakery products are usually very rich in it. Although in this case we find very notable differences, since a cake or some tea pastries can contain more than 100 mg of cholesterol per 100 g of product, while this content is reduced to 50 mg / 100g in some type of croissant and biscuits.

HOME OR INDUSTRIAL BAKING?

The difference here is not whether the hands that have made the cake have made it with more or less love, but what ingredients have been used for it. The homemade pastry It can be as caloric and not nutritionally recommended as the products of a bakery or industrial bakery. This will not be the case if instead of using conventional recipes we improve the ingredients, despite the fact that we will always be talking about products for sporadic consumption. To improve the formulation of these foods we can use wholemeal flours, change a less advisable fat such as butter for oils such as olive or sunflower and / or for dried fruits such as walnuts, hazelnuts or almonds ...

It will also try to reduce the amount of sugar in the recipe and instead use fruits, etc. We should look for alternatives that we want and that allow us to reduce the content of sugar and saturated fatty acids.

KNOW THE INGREDIENTS

As we have seen, the difference between different pastry products is going to be found in the type and quantity of the foods that have been used to make them, so if we want to know what type of product we are consuming, we must review the list of ingredients it contains. This list is ordered from largest to smallest quantity, so we must prefer foods that start it with flour, egg ... instead of those that contain sugar or butter as the first ingredient. It is preferable that the flavor and attractiveness of the product are achieved based on fruits or nuts not from butter, custard or cream.

SUGAR FREE PASTRY

We must not be fooled by messages such as "no sugars", as this does not mean no caloricIt only means without sugars, not without other types of carbohydrates or carbohydrates and, above all, it does not mean without fat or without calories. Often instead of the caloric sweeteners (then yes we get rid of the calories that sugars provide us), but we also find products made with fructose, Although it is absorbed more slowly, it does provide calories. In addition, sometimes products do not have sugars, which mainly owe their flavor and texture to fats, so far from being light products, they are sugar-free but very energetic products.

IN ANY CASE, MODERATION

In reality, we are dealing with products that are mainly consumed in celebrations. We must take into account what we have mentioned and when the opportunity to consume them arises, take small portions and taste them slowly, choosing only the product that we like the most, without taking the entire assortment of cookies, cakes or buns. The most important is eat a healthy diet and if you have any questions that will help you to have a diet that is tailored to you.

• The confectionery is characterized by offering an important caloric intake based mainly on fats and sugars.
• Homemade products will not be healthier if what we do is follow traditional recipes; we must adapt them to our tastes and improve them nutritionally.
• Whether they are pastry, industrial or homemade products, pastries should always be reserved for specific moments, and their consumption should be sporadic and moderate.

Diploma in Human Nutrition and Dietetics Bachelor of Food Science and Technology