Healthy Recipe Substitutions

Cut the Calories & Fat for Healthy Eating- Make Recipes Healthier With Substitutions

If you are on the path to a healthy lifestyle, you can still enjoy your favorite recipes by substituting healthier ingredients which will save you calories, fat, sodium and sugar. With these substitutions,

you don’t have to sacrifice

taste either. Here are some

great ways to modify your

favorite recipes:

To reduce Fat and

Cholesterol in Recipes

Use Applesauce,

mashed banana or prune puree

for half the called-for butter,

shortening or oil in a recipe

Use cooking spray

to prevent sticking instead

of butter, margarine or

shortening.

Select fat-free soup

bases, potato flakes, tofu,

potatoes or pureed carrots as thickening agents instead of regular canned soup

Egg substitute- Use 2 egg whites or ¼ cup egg substitute for each whole egg called for.

Use low fat or fat free milk, cream cheese, cottage cheese and yogurt in place of regular for recipes or as condiments-Warning- If recipe requires cooking, use nonfat yogurt or sour cream only in sweet recipes.

Choose lean cuts of meat such as chicken or turkey, extra lean ground beef. Try using ground turkey or chicken instead of beef.

Replace half the meat in your casserole recipes with grated firm tofu. No one will know the difference as tofu absorbs the tastes of the foods around it.

Make your own salad dressings with reduced-calorie mayonnaise

Use fat free salad dressings or make your own with balsamic or flavored vinegar, fruit juice or fat-free broth

Replace heavy cream with skimmed, evaporated milk

Replace heavy cream Soups/casseroles - evaporated skim milk. For baking - light cream or Half & Half

When replacing Butter - WARNING - Light/lowfat margarine contains more water which could cause a baked product to be tough. Try decreasing regular margarine 1 to 2 Tbsp first.

Replace hard cheese (block or shredded) with low fat or non-fat -Remember not to use non-fat in cooked foods as it doesn't melt.

Replace one cup chocolate chips with one cup mini-chocolate chips

Replace 1 cup Oil in quick muffins or breads (muffins, breads) with 1/2 cup fruit or vegetable + 1/2 cup oil or 1% buttermilk

Replace regular peanut butter with reduced fat

Reducing Sodium in Recipes

Decreasing the sodium doesn’t have to affect flavor. In fact, replacing sodium with more flavorful herbs and spices can greatly enhance a recipe. Try replacing salt or seasoned salt with garlic powder or onion flakes or use fresh garlic, celery or onions.

Always check canned soups and sauces that you buy to make sure you buy the low sodium or reduced-sodium brands. Soups, crackers, dressings and sauces, as well as soy sauce come in low sodium varieties.

Check the labels on frozen foods for the milligrams of sodium per serving also.

Hint: for Recipes calling for yeast, don’t reduce the amount of salt as it is needed for leavening.

Reducing Sugar (and calories) in Recipes

Reduce the amount of sugar by one-third to one-half. To increase the flavor add spices such as allspice, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg or flavored extracts such as vanilla extract or almond flavoring. Watkins offers dozens of different flavored extracts to choose from.

Substitute fruit canned in it’s own juices for fruit in heavy syrup and pureed fruit with applesauce or low-calorie, sugar free syrups.

To Increase the Amount of Nutrients, including Vitamins, Minerals and Fiber in Recipes

Use whole wheat or whole grain flour instead of all purpose or white flour in recipes. You’ll be amazed at the increased tastes.

Instead of white rice, use brown rice, wild rice or a whole grain like bulgur, pearl barley or amaranth

Instead of enriched pasta, look for whole wheat or those flavored with spinach or tomato for example

For dry bread crumbs use rolled oats

Reduce the amount of meat in the recipe and increase the amount of veggies

Use whole grain bread instead of white or whole wheat. Make sure a whole grain is listed as the first ingredient on the ingredients listing

Make your own croutons.

Check the calories per serving on the label when you buy something. Then check the servings in the can or package. The calories per serving could be 50 but if there are 5 servings in the package, you are up to 250 if you eat the entire thing.

Once you get used to eating these healthier substitutions your tastes buds will adjust and you will actually prefer your foods this way.

More healthy weight loss tips:

Healthy Weight loss tips