Nothing says festivities like a box of chocolate cake or traditional Indian desserts like Gulab Jamun. Yum is the first word that comes to mind, isn’t so?

There is a continuous rise in pâtisseries and gourmet bakery brands across India. Especially in major cities, the bakery business is on a rise moving ahead from mom-and-pop neighborhood cake shops. As per the website of Expert Market Research, Bakery Industry in India stood at a value of nearly USD 7.60 billion in 2020. The market is further estimated to grow at a CAGR of 8.5 percent between 2021 and 2026 to reach a value of $12.39 billion by 2026. But veterans believe that the Covid scenario changed the whole aspect of having a cup of coffee with freshly baked cakes in bakery outlets.

Talking numbers, the average profit margin for a bakery depends on the overhead and materials cost of producing bakery goods. But, bakery owners should make at least a 30 percent profit margin to cover operational costs and earn income. A specialty bakery that uses more labor-intensive techniques and high-quality ingredients to produce goods could make a 50 percent profit margin or more with a price markup of 100 percent. In normal cases, the bakery businesses mostly depended on walk-in customers, because guests would like to have their cakes and pastries at the shop. But with life moving towards virtual reality, can patisserie businesses survive the online battle?

What would you say to a sugar-free chocolate cake or a sugar-free mithai? Sounds unappetizing? Yet, with rising obesity and diabetes, as well as a growing interest in unconventional sweet eats, sugar-free, gluten-free ( whole grain / refined flour free ) desserts/bakeries are on the rise in India. There has been a considerable amount of shift in food consumption patterns with healthy food, especially healthy sweets, becoming a top priority.

When it comes to desserts, we're always eating a little too much. And then counting our calories.  India is fast topping the global list of countries with the most obese and diabetic people in the world. With this in mind, people are also trying to take control over their lives – a growing interest in healthier food is part of that attempt. For instance, one of the most googled diets in the years 2021 -2022 are Mediterranean Diet, DASH Diet, and Flexitarian Diets. 

As part of this rising interest in healthy foods, people are also making lifestyle changes like opting for artificial sweeteners ( zero calorie / diabetic friendly ) or better alternatives like natural sugar substitutes like honey (dates) and fruits. These choices are being made even by people who may not be suffering from any disease, purely as a preventive measure. Another reason for people opting for sugar-free/gluten-free bakery desserts could be the influence of social media that encourages us to experiment with previously unknown or untried ingredients.

There are several sugar substitutes on the market but the most natural are whole fruit and vegetables. Probably one of the healthiest options to add to your dessert. Using them in their whole form means benefitting from the valuable fiber and nutrients they contain as well as enjoying their naturally sweet flavor. Popular veggie choices are carrots, parsnips, watermelon, and beetroot – these all work surprisingly well in sweet treats as they have ample sweetness but also much-required vitamins.

All these sugar-free alternatives are great at providing healthy, nutritious, and tasty food without letting go of either of the characteristics. Of course, fruits like bananas, apples, pineapple, or even coconut water are popular as ingredients in pies, etc. But, while these fruits contain sugars, the sugar in them comes along with a host of other goodies minerals, vitamins, fiber and are safe for diabetic people too, besides being delicious for everyone. People love sugar-free ladoos, gluten-free chocolates, gluten-free almond bread, sugar-free modaks, coconut chia seed pudding, etc.

People underestimate the amount of sugar that goes into bakery products/desserts. For example :

- 50 gm brownie has around 6 spoons of sugar

- A small slice of chocolate cake has 6-7 spoons of sugar

- Caramel custard - 8/10 spoons of sugar

- Chocolate mousse small portion - 5 spoons of sugar

Sweeteners that are used under the sugar-free label seem healthy but aren't : (Same calories and the same effect on blood sugar as refined sugar )

·        Honey

·        Jaggery

·        Maple syrup

·        Coconut sugar

Healthier options for sweeteners:

Dates

·        Apples

·        Banana

·        Erythritol (zero calories)

·        Monk Fruit (zero calories)

Existing bakery products have close to zero nutritional value. Along with huge amounts of sugar most of the products are made using refined flour and unhealthy fats like dalda and margarine.  

Of course, there is also a gap in the market for a truly healthy bakery because what normally happens in India is that people tend to hide a lot of ingredients. The basic rules for packaged food are very lax, and there’s also a general lack of awareness about what goes into making a product, especially a bakery and packaged foods.  While it’s easy to hide an ingredient or two from your buyer, compromising on the overall quality of our offerings just for better business doesn’t sound appealing. Desserts needn’t always be your cheat meal. And, that should be the USP of any products/ brands.

Today’s consumer is educated and open to exploring food choices.  People are now looking consciously at alternatives to sugar/gluten food. Whether it is driven by thoughts of clean eating or helping the environment, the time is right to offer more options for a balanced diet as consumers take an interest in the source of their food to make informed decisions. If nothing else, the pandemic has increased people’s awareness of nourishing food. Food is not seen just as an indulgence but also as a value addition to one’s health that’s why a sweet dish has to find the right balance between healthy and decadent.