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