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Can you do Trim Healthy Mama without special ingredients? Absolutely!
Do special ingredients come in handy? Yes.
We need to live within our means and not purchase things that we can’t afford, and even if we can afford them, there are probably more worthwhile uses for our money than buying up every single possible ingredient, so I think there’s probably a happy medium. Today I’m going to show you my top 5 most used special ingredients for THM, tell you why they’re so versatile, and help you find the best places to buy them as well as recipes in which to use them!
Defatted Peanut Flour
Why Top 5?
Defatted peanut flour is basically ground-up peanuts with most of the fat removed, so you have the flavor of peanut butter (one of my favorite foods!) at a fraction of the calories. Defatted peanut flour can be used in any THM fuel type and contains 16 grams of protein in 1/4 c. serving!
Substitutions:
No direct subs that I know of.
Other Sources:
I prefer Protein Plus brand, which I usually purchase from Amazon (click here). You can also purchase this brand from Netrition (click here). Trim Healthy Mama sells a defatted peanut flour (here), but I’ve found it to have some bitter notes. You can find defatted peanut flour at some local grocery stores; I believe Jif carries a product that contains only peanuts and salt. Avoid products with added sugar, such as PB2.
Favorite recipes:
THM Super Sweet Blend
Honorable Mention: THM Pure Stevia Extract Powder
Why Top 5?
Super Sweet Blend is the best combination of versatile, good taste, and budget-friendly that I have found in a low-glycemic sweetener. Stevia is cheaper but doesn’t always pair nicely with flavors like chocolate and coffee, so Super Sweet Blend is a little more versatile. (I use them both, sometimes in combination.)
Substitutions:
You can use this sweetener conversion chart to substitute between various sweeteners. I would be a little careful substituting plain stevia into a recipe that calls for a sweetener blend like Super Sweet Blend, but most other sweetener blends (like the ones mentioned in the chart) can be substituted for Super Sweet Blend just fine, and vice versa (unless a recipe specifically mentions that the bulk from a less concentrated sweetener, such as THM Gentle Sweet or xylitol, is needed).
Other Sources:
IÂ always purchase Super Sweet Blend from Swanson Vitamins to take advantage of their free shipping over $50! You can also purchase it from Trim Healthy Mama.
Favorite recipes:
Many of the recipes in my Desserts index!
Collagen
Why Top 5?
Collagen is a great source of protein. I used to use whey protein powder most of the time, but since I a) found out that collagen has less taste, and b) have been trying to cater more to my dairy-free readers, I’ve switched to collagen for more of my protein needs.
Substitutions:
Collagen and whey protein powder can often be substituted in recipes. Both add protein and structure.
Other Sources:
I’ve only ever used Great Lakes brand, which can be purchased from Amazon (click here) and iHerb (click here). Did you know that you can actually order collagen directly from the Great Lakes website? Yep! CLICK HERE to see all their buying options – including some pretty good bulk deals and free shipping options! I’ve heard good things about THM Integral Collagen as well.
Favorite recipes:
Xanthan Gum
(Please excuse the incorrect spelling on the label in the picture above.)
Why Top 5?
Every cook needs a good thickener in her pantry, and when we’re not using flour and corn products any more, xanthan gum comes to the rescue! A little goes a long way! Soups, gravies, ice cream, shakes – all can benefit from the thickening and creamifying properties of xanthan gum. I also like to use it in low-carb baked goods for a better texture. (It can help replace some of the structure lost by the absence of gluten.)
Tip: Always add xanthan gum to a recipe a little at a time while whisking or right before blending to avoid clumps in your finished product.
Substitutions:
Glucomannan and xanthan gum can generally be interchanged in a 1:1 ratio. I like both for different applications (gluccie in drinks and ice cream, xanthan gum in gravies and baked goods), but if I had to choose one, I’d choose xanthan gum because it seems to work just a little faster and isn’t as slimy.
Other Sources:
So far we’ve managed to purchase all our xanthan gum from discount grocery stores! You can also find it at Walmart and other local stores (check the gluten-free baking section). Amazon (click here), Swanson (click here), and iHerb (click here) are good online sources.
Favorite recipes:
Vegetable Glycerin
Why Top 5?
Vegetable glycerin gives homemade ice cream a creamier consistency (not so icy) and keeps it from sticking to the sides of the ice cream maker. Here’s an article that explains vegetable glycerin in more detail. From the information I’ve been able to find, it is thought that vegetable glycerin does not have a significant impact on blood sugar, so it’s safe for us Trim Healthy Mamas to use. (I only use 1-2 T. in my ice cream recipes, so it’s not a large amount.) If you don’t have vegetable glycerin, you can just omit it in my ice cream recipes, but I really do prefer the texture with vegetable glycerin quite a lot over the texture without it!
Substitutions:
Vegetable glycerin is a unique ingredient that doesn’t have any direct substitutions to my knowledge.
Other Sources:
I usually purchase my vegetable glycerin off of Amazon (this brand right here), but you can also find it at some local grocery stores, often in the skincare department. Since these are not tested as food products, you may not find a clear answer about whether or not they should be consumed, but as long as the product is 100% vegetable glycerin and doesn’t have a poison warning on the label, you should be fine. I know that NOW brand is safe, and of course the brand linked above is what I’ve been using for quite some time now. I don’t recommend purchasing vegetable glycerin from a cake decorating store; those products are meant to keep frosting soft and from anecdotal evidence it seems that they’re a good deal stronger than the glycerin I typically use and you might get a funny aftertaste.
Favorite recipes:
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Thanks Briana! I use vegetable glycerin (NOW brand) in your ice cream recipes (which we all LOVE, by the way) but my ice cream churn ALWAYS has a thick layer of ice cream stuck to the sides. I generally put 2 T in… ideas? I usually just let it sit for a couple of minutes and it melts, somebody is always willing to eat it anyway, but it would be nice to just be able to scoop it all out. Is there another trick I am missing? THANKS!
Hi Collette! I’m not sure what to tell you! As long as I use the vegetable glycerin I linked above, I don’t have that problem. Maybe NOW brand isn’t as strong?
Thanks! That’s what I’m thinking… I’ll try adding a little more (I still have a lot left) and then give the other brand a try.
Thank you again for all you do! Your cookbook ROCKS!
I’m so glad you’re enjoying the book, Collette!