You CAN have that Healthy Wedding Cake That Tastes Delicious and Looks Beautiful!

Michele LaRock, MS RD LDN, Contributing Writer

Weddings involve a long list of decisions, some easier than others.  Included in that long list is the wedding cake.  If you have already taken steps to eat healthier you might even wonder if you should have a “healthy” wedding cake.  Is there even such a thing?  While serving power bars would be a bit extreme, there are a few things you can do to find the middle ground between deprivation and over the top extravagance.

Here are some healthy tips when ordering your wedding cake:

Go real. 

This means skip the artificial sweeteners, flavors and colors.  A quality baker can use natural plant-based colors if necessary.  Otherwise, let the natural ivory color of buttercream be the background for colorful fruit or floral adornments.

No hydrogenated fats. 

Many frostings that pose as buttercream are made with sugar and shortening.  Make sure your buttercream is made with real butter with no shortening added. 

Consider cupcakes. 

Often a baker will feel they need to use certain ingredients when making a large or elaborate wedding cake in order to get the structure necessary to hold everything together.  A stiff frosting made with shortening is an example.  Going with tiers of cupcakes means you can go with light and airy whipped cream or a whipped buttercream topping instead.  Cupcakes also help with portion control, which your calorie-conscience guests will appreciate.

Go gluten free. 

Originally an issue for people afflicted with Celiac’s disease, avoiding gluten has gone mainstream.  There are many delicious gluten free cake mixes and most quality bakers have successfully handled gluten free requests. 

Think dark. 

Dark chocolate that is.  Rich in antioxidants, chocolate causes the brain to release endorphins, chemicals that make us feel good.  And feeling good is definitely the best start to a marriage!

Michele LaRock MS RD LDN is a Registered Dietitian who specializes in Holistic Nutrition. Her passion is transforming nutrition information into easy and delicious recipes using whole foods.  Michele counsels patients in Amherst, MA at Dragonfly Integrative Care and in Pittsfield, MA at The Nutrition Center.