Passing by a bakery, your gaze diverts to a hot plate of pound cakes. They smell mouth-watering, and they look luscious. The urge of committing gluttony stops you from questioning; Is pound cake healthy? You probably end up buying more than a reasonable amount.
It is one of those “Been there, done that” moments.
I, too, find myself eating pound cakes for breakfast for several days straight. Or I find myself relying on pound cakes as a good snack, especially during stressful times.
So, let’s find the answer to that question, shall we?
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Is Pound Cake Healthy?
The short answer is no. Here, we’ll explain the reasons to you.
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They have High Amounts of Sugar:
The name suggests the relevance of some ‘pound’ with this cake. The truth is, the recipe requires a whole pound of sugar, butter, and eggs for the cake to be made. To be completely frank, the recipe itself is petrifying to me.
Refined processed sugar is so easy to be consumed, utterly unnoticed in the form of pound cake. So don’t be surprised the next time the ‘pounds’ go up on the weighing scale.
Sugar is addictive and has one of the fastest glycemic responses: your blood sugar fluctuates the most in response to it. It will make you crave more sugar, but it also will lead you to diabetes and obesity.
They Bring Out the Worst in You:
Depending on the recipe, one slice of pound cake can have calories ranging anywhere from 800 to 2000 calories. And one-fourth of these calories come from pure fat.
Even after being high in calories, pound cakes satiate you for only several minutes. You will get hungry soon enough if you try to fill yourself with only pound cakes. It has protein in a denatured form, the eggs baked in high heat, making it coagulated.
You will be getting all the byproducts of protein (urea, creatinine, creatine, uric acid). Still, you wouldn’t be getting the actual benefits of protein. One average-sized pound cake can contain up to nine eggs, making it an unfit choice for vegans and patients on protein restriction.
So, you are getting obesity from the calories, cardiac anomalies from the fat, and kidney shut down from the protein.
How Much Fat is Too Much Fat?
As the previous point discussed the abundance of fat in pound cakes, let me tell you more. The recipe initially calls for two sticks of butter, excluding the amount you would need in the oven.
But I am guessing you are eating more store-bought cakes than baking at home. Commercial brands use saturated trans-fat instead of unsaturated cis fat (vegetable fat). Trans fat is an artificially synthesized replacement for butter and is a leading cause of fat buildup in your arteries.
Margarine is a healthier option if you are making pound cakes at home. But it is not widely used in recipes because it doesn’t give you the exact texture. So, it is not only about the amount of fat used, but also the kind.
In the end, you are stuffing yourself with heart attack, cardiac failure, and neurological disorders when you are overindulging on pound cakes, utterly unaware of the dangers.
Bad News for Many People:
Pound cakes contain several ingredients that will be potentially detrimental to several people and might significantly impact the interest of public health.
People intolerant to gluten or lactose can have severe physical consequences due to the consumption of pound cake. These cakes may contain trace elements of peanut, wheat, gluten, etc., allergens. They can be present either as a part of the recipe or due to cross-contamination.
It is also not suitable for people following specific diets such as keto or paleo.
Disproportionate Food Values:
There has to be a decent ratio between the macronutrients for any food item to be considered healthy. An average-pound cake has 14 grams of fat, 5 grams of protein, and 57 grams of carbohydrate. I am not blaming carbs here; I am only pointing out the disproportionation among the macros.
Disproportionate foods can be dangerous because they will serve you just as fine, but you will unknowingly develop malnutrition disorders. Since it is almost impossible for an average person to calculate their macros accurately, deficiency disorders are rising.
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How to Make Healthier Pound Cakes?
But your favorite snack doesn’t have to be this way. Here are some simple ways to upgrade ultra-processed sugary pound cakes into absolutely healthy cakes:
Swap Sugar for Artificial Sweetener:
This will help you lower your chances of suffering from diabetes or glucose intolerance. It will also keep your weight in check.
But refrain from using aspartame as an artificial sweetener, as it can pose significant risks to your kidneys. Sucrose is a safe choice in this case.
Use Real Fruits!
Commercial pound cakes never do, and pound cakes from bakeries rarely have natural fruits. Set your imagination free and get wild while experimenting with different fruits to make your cakes healthier and tastier.
Some naturally sweet fruits are mango, banana, strawberry, blueberry, raspberry, apricot, etc.
Don’t Go Wild with the Butter!
Use a minimum amount of oil or butter. That’s it.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Can I eat pound cakes when I am on a diet?
As long as you stay within your calorie limit, you can eat whatever you want. Even pound cakes!
Can I eat pound cakes if I am diabetic?
No. It’s sugar town here. Pound cake would be an irresponsible choice for a diabetic person.
Can I make vegan pound cakes at home?
Of course. You can use a variety of substitutes for an egg. Take a scroll through the internet to find some good vegan-friendly recipes.
Can I eat pound cake as lunch?
As much as I relate to your question, the answer is, sadly, no. You will end up in a sugar crash and get hungry within minutes.
Final words!
Next time you wake up in a cold sweat, wondering, “Oh lord, is pound cake healthy? Give this article another read and make yourself a hot plate of truly healthy pound cakes. Bon appetit.
