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Duncan Hines Marble Cake, Z-Trim
directions
Blend dry cake mix with one quarter
cup of butter and one quarter
cup of Z-Trim.
Use the water and
eggs that the recipe calls for
and make the cake as otherwise
directed!
Note that the mix
itself has some partially
hydrogenated oil, but the
overall fat content is greatly
reduced. Of course you can
remove the trans fat entirely by
baking a cake from scratch with
Z-Trim.
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Z-Trim
It sounds too good to be true.
Not only is it a no-calorie fat
replacement, it is high in
fiber, low in carbs and has not
been molecularly modified. What
is it? Its maker, food
manufacturer Fibergel, calls it
Z-Trim.
What exactly is Z-Trim?
Z-Trim is a zero calorie fat
replacement made from corn
fiber. Developed at the U.S.
Department of Agriculture by
scientist Dr. George Inglett,
Ztrim uses insoluble corn fiber
to provide volume, moisture,
texture and structural integrity
to reduced fat products. The
product is sold as a gel that is
easy to measure and use in a
variety of foods.
So, can Z-Trim replace all fat?
It is actually recommended that
you use it to replace part of
the fat in food products and in
recipes. When it is used to
replace up to half the fat, it
can dramatically reduce the
calories and increase the fiber,
while retaining flavor and even
improving texture of some
products. And, not only is it a
complex carbohydrate with no
calories and no fat– it is
filling, which is ideal for
dieters.
Uses of Z-Trim
Z-Trim can be used in a variety
of baked products to replace a
portion of the fat without any
detriment to flavor or texture.
It can be blended with fats such
as butter or cream cheese in
order to reduce the fat content.
It can also be used in other
food such as salad dressings,
dips and sauces. It cannot be
used to deep fry foods, but
other than that is quite
versatile.
The verdict
In response to our request for
samples to review, Fibergel
provided a sample kit that
included brownies, chocolate
chip cookies and salad dressing,
all made with Z-Trim. It also
included Z-Trim gel and some
flour blended with Z-Trim. The
sample baked goods were moist
and tasty, if not of the
super-decadent variety. In
addition, we used the gel with a
commercial cake mix to make our
own reduced fat cake. The
results were very impressive and
family members happily devoured
it without guessing it was
substantially lower in fat than
the average cake. It was
delicious and we didn't notice
any difference in flavor or
texture after reducing the
butter by half. I also blended
some Z-Trim with a higher fat
salad dressing and was quite
pleased. Like other fat
substitutes, Z-Trim is not a
ticket to unlimited eating.
However, for those trying to
reduce fat and calories in their
diet, it looks like an ideal
start.
The packaging and slogan are not
ideal, but the product
contained within is extremely
promising. Z-Trim products are
available directly from the
Z-Trim website. |
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