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Your guide to ingredient substitutions for healthy recipes |
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If your recipe calls for this ingredient: |
Try substituting this ingredient: |
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Bacon |
Turkey bacon, smoked turkey or lean prosciutto (Italian ham) |
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Bread, white |
Whole-grain bread |
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Bread crumbs, dry |
Rolled oats or crushed bran cereal |
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Butter, margarine, shortening or oil in baked goods |
Applesauce or prune puree for half of the called-for butter, shortening or oil; butter spreads or shortenings specially formulated for baking that don't have trans fats
Note: To avoid dense, soggy or flat baked goods, don't substitute oil for butter or shortening. Also don't substitute diet, whipped or tub-style margarine for regular margarine. |
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Butter, margarine, shortening or oil to prevent sticking |
Cooking spray or nonstick pans |
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Cream |
Fat-free half-and-half, evaporated skim milk |
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Cream cheese, full fat |
Fat-free or low-fat cream cheese, Neufchatel, or low-fat cottage cheese pureed until smooth |
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Eggs |
Two egg whites or 1/4 cup egg substitute for each whole egg |
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Flour, all-purpose (plain) |
Whole-wheat flour for half of the called-for all-purpose flour in baked goods
Note: Whole-wheat pastry flour is less dense and works well in softer products like cakes and muffins. |
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Fruit canned in heavy syrup |
Fruit canned in its own juices or in water, or fresh fruit |
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Ground beef |
Extra-lean or lean ground beef, chicken or turkey breast (make sure no poultry skin has been added to the product) |
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Lettuce, iceberg |
Arugula, chicory, collard greens, dandelion greens, kale, mustard greens, spinach or watercress |
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Mayonnaise |
Reduced-calorie mayonnaise-type salad dressing or reduced-calorie, reduced-fat mayonnaise |
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Meat as the main ingredient |
Three times as many vegetables as the meat on pizzas or in casseroles, soups and stews |
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Milk, evaporated |
Almond Milk |
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Milk, whole |
Almond Milk |
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Oil-based marinades |
Wine, balsamic vinegar, fruit juice or fat-free broth |
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Pasta, enriched (white) |
Whole-wheat pasta |
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Rice, white |
Brown rice, wild rice, bulgur or pearl barley |
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Salad dressing |
Fat-free or reduced-calorie dressing or flavored vinegars |
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Seasoning salt, such as garlic salt, celery salt or onion salt |
Herb-only seasonings, such as garlic powder, celery seed or onion flakes, or use finely chopped herbs or garlic, celery or onions |
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Soups, creamed |
Fat-free milk-based soups, sweet potato flakes, or pureed carrots, tofu for thickening agents |
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Soups, sauces, dressings, crackers, or canned meat, fish or vegetables |
Low-sodium or reduced-sodium versions |
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Sour cream, full fat |
Fat-free or low-fat sour cream, plain fat-free or low-fat yogurt |
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Soy sauce |
Sweet-and-sour sauce, hot mustard sauce or low-sodium soy sauce |
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Sugar |
In most baked goods you can reduce the amount of sugar by one-half - replace with Fructose; intensify sweetness by adding vanilla, nutmeg or cinnamon |
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Syrup |
Pureed fruit, such as applesauce, or low-calorie, sugar-free syrup |
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Table salt |
Herbs, spices, citrus juices (lemon, lime, orange), rice vinegar, salt-free seasoning mixes or herb blends |
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Yogurt, fruit-flavored |
Plain yogurt with fresh fruit slices |
