Popular Health Benefits Worth Adding to Baked Goods

As more and more consumers become health conscious, bakers must consider adding health benefits to their baked goods

Fremont, CA: Today's consumers desire more from the food they consume. From digestive support to energy boosts, health-promoting foods are flooding grocery store shelves, even the bread aisle. Therefore, bakers must introduce nutritional value and health benefits to their baked products.

Some of the health benefits bakers must consider adding to their baked goods are:

Improving the immune system

According to a global survey, the primary reason people purchase functional food and beverage items is for immune system benefits. And morning appears to be the most common time of day for consuming these goods, followed by snacks between meals. While immune-supporting characteristics are most typically seen in beverages, yogurt, and breakfast bars, bakeries also have the possibility to incorporate them into their goods. Bakers can add beta-glucans generated from baker's yeast to a range of items, for instance. Research supports beta glucan's capacity to enhance the immune system.

Boosting digestive health

Products that enhance digestive health were essential to fifty percent of those surveyed. Fortunately, bakers have an abundance of options for adding digestive help to their products. The first component is dietary fiber. Added fiber is most effective in baked goods such as bread and muffins, and there are a variety of ingredient combinations that can be used to increase fiber content claims. And probiotics, which use beneficial bacteria to balance the digestive tract, are no longer limited to dairy products; they are also ideal for packaged baked goods. Due to the heat sensitivity of most probiotics, it is better to add them to baked goods after the baking process, whether they are sprayed on the finished product or used in fillings, icings, and frostings. Thus, they are great for baked goods such as cookies, pastries, and cupcakes. The addition of prebiotics and postbiotics can further improve gut health.

Improving protein content

Historically, eggs have been a staple source of protein in baked foods. With the growing popularity of plant-based products, however, more people are searching for foods that contain plant-based proteins. Protein-rich flours and powders are the most prevalent means of incorporating plant-based protein. In this field, ancient and sprouted foods provide concentrated proteins from a range of plant sources and are suitable for usage in cookies, brownies, bread toppings, and a variety of other applications. Other alternatives, such as pea and soy proteins, are also widely available in baked products.