Can whipped cream be healthy and dietetic?

Where did whipped cream come from?

As usual, there are several versions of how the whipped cream was made. The most probable story is about a French chef, François Vatel, who was the main chef and administrator of the court at the castle of Chantilly. In June 1784 he prepared a dessert, which was formed of whipped cream, sugar and vanilla flavour.

Vatel's work was named Crème chantilly and it was universal enough to be served as an independent snack or as an addition to fresh fruit or ice cream.

Although it is François Vatel who is generally mentioned as the creator of whipped cream, it is believed to have been created much earlier as there are some remarks about it in the 16th century records of Italian authors. Regardless of who made the recipe, whipped cream, thankfully, also appeared in Poland.

How to make whipped cream?

Whipped cream is prepared with at least 30% cream, sugar and vanilla sugar. Everything needs to be beaten together (preferably in a high pot) to obtain a thick mixture.

The mixture can be used as an addition to cakes, pancakes, waffles or ice cream. Whipped cream is also perfect for hot drinks such as coffee, chocolate or cocoa. It may serve for decorating jellies and fruit desserts.

Unfortunately, whipped cream is very high in calories because it contains a lot of carbohydrates and fat. Just a few spoons have about 200 kcal, which is why weight-watchers should definitely avoid it.

A recipe for healthy whipped cream

Fortunately, there are recipes which significantly reduce the amount of carbohydrates and fat, so that even people on a diet can serve themselves a sweet snack. However irrational it sounds, whipped cream can be healthy if you do not prepare it using cream.

To prepare healthy whipped cream you need:

- 100g of Greek yoghurt
- two egg whites
- one teaspoon of xylitol

Add one rounded teaspoon of xylitol to the yogurt and mix it precisely. Then beat the eggs to stiff and, without ceasing to whisk the eggs, add Greek yogurt in portions.

Greek yogurt can be replaced by e.g. ricotta cheese, which contains a lot of proteins and calcium. Coconut milk is definitely healthier than cream, so using it is also an ideal solution for people who are vegan and for those who limit the consumption of lactose and gluten.

To prepare vegan whipped cream you need:

- coconut milk (coconut pulp content over 80%)

Coconut milk needs to be storaged in the fridge for a few hours, where it should harden. Otherwise you will not be able to beat it. If there is some water left in the can, it should be separated and not added to whipping. It may be used in other ways, for example, as an addition to soups. Coconut milk can be whipped even at low speed of the mixer.

What type of food may be accompanied with whipped cream?

In Poland, whipped cream is treated mainly as an addition, which is why we may prepare healthy pancakes for us and our children. The trick is to replace flour in a proper way. Pancakes are usually made of wheat flour, but we can prepare a less caloric dough if we choose another type of flour, for instance, whole grain, millet, buckwheat or rice one.

The worst thing in preparing the dough is adding white sugar to it, especially when pancakes are being prepared for children. The sugar available in stores is usually refined, i.e purified, which eliminates all nutritional values.

In this way, we provide ourselves with empty calories, which give us a sudden boost of energy, however, after a while, it completely disappears. Therefore, for children who love sweets, we can sweeten the dough with xylitol or stevia.

The process of frying pancakes is also very important. If you do it in oil, even if it is healthy coconut oil, the dough will absorb fat. Fortunately, on the market you may find special frying pans in which you can fry without using fat.

Enjoy your meal!