There are ways to adapt recipes to decrease the amount of fat, calories, sugar and salt (sodium) and make them more healthy for your family. Fiber is an important nutrient in your diet, you can increase the fiber in your recipes to make them more nutritious. Experiment with recipes and change ingredients, you might be surprised at the healthy dishes you can make for your family. You may also be able to find other recipes that are similar to yours that have less fat, sugar, salt, and have more additions of nutritious ingredients.
Common Substitutions
| Ingredient | Substitution |
|---|---|
| 1 whole egg | 2 egg whites or 1/4 egg substitute or 1 egg white and 1 teaspoon vegetable oil. |
| 1 cup butter, lard or shortening | 1 cup soft tub margarine (or special spreads such as Benecol, Take Control, Smart Balance) or 2/3 to 3/4 cup vegetable oil, 1 cup applesauce |
| 1 cup vegetable oil | 1 cup applesauce, fruit or vegetable purees |
| 1 cup whole milk | 1 cup 1% or skim milk |
| 1 cup light cream | 1 cup evaporated skim milk or 3 tablespoons vegetable oil plus 3 tablespoons skim milk |
| 1 cup heavy cream | 1 cup evaporated skim milk or 2/3 cup skim milk plus 1/3 cup vegetable oil |
| 1 cup sour cream | 1 cup plain low or non-fat yogurt; 1 cup low/non-fat cottage cheese plus 2 teaspoons lemon juice and 2 tablespoons low fat buttermilk |
| 1 ounce cheese | 1 ounce skim or low fat cheese (5 grams or less of fat per ounce) |
| Cream cheese | "Light" cream cheese (3 grams or less of fat per ounce). Fat-free cream cheese; Neufchatel cheese; low fat ricotta cheese |
| Salad Dressing (1 Tablespoon) | 1 Tablespoon reduced fat/fat free salad dressing. Thin cream dressings with plain low/non-fat yogurt. |
| Mayonnaise | Low/non-fat mayonnaise; low/non-fat plain yogurt; 3/4 cup plain yogurt with 1/4 cup low calorie mayonnaise |
| Beef | Choose leaner cuts: round, sirloin, flank, or tenderloin |
| Ground beef | Use extra-lean ground beef (<10% fat). Drain fat after cooking and rinse with hot water. Replace up to half of total amount of ground meat with mashed beans. |
| Chicken | Remove skin before eating. Look for ground chicken breast. |
| Turkey | Remove skin before eating. Look for ground turkey breast. |
| Tuna, canned (oil) | Tuna, canned in water |
| Lunch meat | Fat-free, low sodium lunch meats (at least 95% fat free). Caution: Lunch meats tend to be high in sodium. |
More Articles
Prepare and Eat More Meals at Home
- 5 Secrets to Healthy 30 Minute Meals
- Adding Whole Grains to Recipes
- Breakfast Brain Food
- Breakfast: A Good Start!
- Cooking in the Microwave
- Cooking with Kids
- Farm-Raised or Wild Salmon, Which is Best?
- How Can I Eat Healthy With No Time to Spare?
- How to Spot Whole Grains
- Kitchen Clues: Make It Delicious and Nutritious
- Live Mindfully for Better Health
- Make Meals a Family Affair
- Making Healthy Choices When Eating Out
- Measurements Matter
- Memorial Day Menu
- Modify Your Recipe for Better Health
- Planning - The Way to Make Dinnertime Easy
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- Prepare and Eat More Meals at Home
- Prepare and Eat More Meals at Home Introductory Article
- Reading the Food Label
- Reading the Ingredient List
- Recipe Substitutions
- Reduce Added Solid Fats - Beef and Chicken
- Reduce Added Solid Fats - Butter, Margarine, Lard and Shortening
- Reduce Added Solid Fats - Hamburgers and Fried Potatoes
- Reduce Added Solid Fats - Pizza
- Reduce Added Solid Fats - Whole and Reduced Fat Milk
- Reduce Added Sugars and Solid Fats - Desserts (Baked, Dairy, and Candy)
- Reduce Sodium in Your Daily Vegetable Intake
- Smart Start: Guiding Your Child to a Lifetime of Healthy Eating
- Sodium: What’s It All About?
- Substitute Whole Grains for Refined
- Ten Things You Can Do Now to Maintain Calorie Balance and Sustain a Healthy Weight
- The Top Foods to Swap, Substitute, Shrink, or Sneak-in to Reduce Added Sugars and Solid Fats in Your Diet
- Using Unit Pricing
- What Can I Pack for a Healthy Lunch?
- What Can I Pack my Kids for Lunch?
- What do you do with Leftovers after the Party?
- Why Eat at Home?
Glossary
Resources/Tools
