Don’t be afraid to lighten up recipes. You'll be surprised that won't even know the difference! Cutting down on excess salt and fat can help you maintain a healthy eating pattern. You can make small substitutions to your favorite recipes and transform them in to lighter versions. The following table from Mayo Clinic offers excellent suggestions for recipe ingredient substitutions.
If your recipe calls for: |
Try substituting: |
All-purpose (plain) flour | 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 such as cakes and muffins. |
Bacon | Canadian bacon, turkey bacon, smoked turkey, or lean proscuitto (Italian ham) |
Butter, shortening, or oil in baked goods | Applesauce or prune puree for half of the called-for butter, shortening, or oil Note: To avoid dense, soggy, or flat baked goods, don't substitute oil for butter or shortening. |
Butter, margarine, shortening, or oil to prevent sticking | Cooking spray or nonstick pans |
Creamed soups | Fat-free milk-based soups, mashed potato flakes, or pureed carrots, potatoes, or tofu for thickening agents |
Dry bread crumbs | Rolled oats or crushed bran cereal |
Eggs | Two egg whites or ¼-cup egg substitute for each whole egg |
Enriched pasta | Whole-wheat pasta |
Evaporated milk | Evaporated skim milk |
Fruit canned in heavy syrup | Fruit canned in its own juices or in water, or fresh fruit |
Fruit-flavored yogurt | Plain yogurt with fresh fruit slices |
Full-fat cream cheese | Fat-free or low-fat cream cheese, Neufchatel or low-fat cottage cheese pureed until smooth |
Full-fat sour cream | Fat-free or low-fat sour cream, plain fat-free or low-fat yogurt (Greek yogurt works well too!) |
Ground beef | Extra-lean or lean ground beef, chicken, or turkey breast (make sure no poultry skin has been added to the product) |
Iceburg lettuce | Arugula, chicory, collard greens, dandelion greens, kale, mustard greens, spinach, or watercress |
Margarine in baked goods | Trans fat-free butter spreads or shortenings that are specially formulated for baking Note: If ingredient lists include the term 'partially hydrogenated,' it may have up to 0.5 grams of trans fat in one serving. To avoid dense, soggy or flat baked goods, don't substitute diet, whipped, or tub-style margarine for regular margarine. |
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 |
Oil-based marinades | Wine, balsamic vinegar, fruit juice, or fat-free broth |
Salad dressing | Fat-free or reduced-calorie dressing or flavored vinegars |
Soups, sauces, dressings, crackers, or canned meat, fish or vegetables | Low-sodium or reduced-sodium versions |
Soy sauce | Sweet-and-sour sauce, hot mustard sauce, or low-sodium soy sauce |
Syrup | Pureed fruit, such as applesauce, or low-calorie, sugar-free syrup |
Table salt | Herbs, spices, fruit juices, or salt-free seasoning mixes or herb blends |
White bread | Whole-wheat bread |
White rice | Brown rice, wild rice, bulgur, or pearl barley |
Whole milk |
Reduced-fat or fat-free milk |
Table source: Mayo Clinic (http://www.mayoclinic.com)
(Updated: 11/26/2019)