Recipe Modification

Use this guide to reduce the amount of fat, salt, sugar or calories in your diet, which may lower your risk for diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.

Baking Ingredients

Original Ingredient Substitution
Baking chocolate, unsweetened 3 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder or carob powder plus 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil or soft margarine

Tip: Since carob is sweeter than cocoa, reduce the sugar in the recipe by 25% when using this substitute
Butter, margarine, shortening, oils in baked goods Reduce amount of fat in recipe by 1/3

When appropriate use an canola oil for solid fat (3/4 cup canola oil = 1 cup of solid fat)

Applesauce or prune puree for the amount of butter, shortening, or oil

Butter spreads or shortenings specially formulated for baking, trans-fat free (Country Crock® Baking Sticks, I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter® All Purpose Sticks, or Crisco® All-Vegetable Shortening Baking Sticks)

Tip: To avoid soggy or flat baked goods, don’t use diet, whipped or tub margarine for regular margarine
Chocolate chips Reduce the amount by ½ and use mini chocolate chips to help spread the chips throughout the recipe
Egg Replace 2 egg whites for 1 egg

¼ cup of egg substitute for 1 egg

1 Tablespoon flax meal or chia seed + 3 Tablespoons hot water (Stir to combine and let stand for about 10 minutes or until thick)
Flour for baking Whole wheat flour for half of the called for flour

White whole wheat flour (read package for directions)
Sugar Reduce amount by 1/4 or 1/3 for baked items

Use a sugar substitute such as Truvía® Baking Blend or SPLENDA® sugar blend (follow directions on package for the amount to use)
Tip: For best results, do not make more than 2 changes to recipes for baked good

Dairy Ingredients

Ingredient Substitution
Buttermilk Low fat buttermilk

Powdered buttermilk

Add 1 Tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar to 1 cup of low fat milk.Stir to combine and then let stand for 10-15 minutes until mixture begins to curdle
Cheese, sliced or shredded Reduced fat, fat free, or light

Use a stronger flavored cheese, like sharp cheddar, but use ½ the amount

Use dairy-free cheese like Daiya®, Go Veggie!® or SoDelicious®
Cream Fat free half and half

Evaporated skim milk
Cream Cheese Fat free or low fat/Neufchâtel cream cheese

Greek cream cheese (made with Greek yogurt)
Cream, whipped Fat free or low fat whipped topping
Ice cream or Frozen yogurt Fat free or low fat

Sugar free or no sugar added Sherbet

Specialty ice creams such as Halo Top®, Chilly Cow®, Moophoria by Ben and Jerry’s®
Milk Milk, evaporated Milk, sweetened condensed Nonfat (skim) or 1% milk

Fat free, evaporated

Fat free or low fat, sweetened condensed
Sour Cream Fat free or low fat

Plain regular or Greek yogurt, fat free or low fat

Blended cottage cheese, fat free or low fat

Fat Ingredients

Ingredient Substitution
Bacon Lower sodium bacon

Turkey bacon

Vegetarian bacon (MorningStar Farms® Veggie Bacon Strips)

Canadian bacon

Smoked turkey

Lean prosciutto (Italian ham)
Butter, margarine, shortening, oils in cooking Canola or olive oil

Cooking spray or water
Mayonnaise Fat free, low fat, reduced fat, or light
Salad dressing Balsamic vinegar or flavored vinegars

Low fat vinaigrettes

Low fat or fat free

Meat Ingredients

Ingredient Substitution
Beef and pork Lean cuts (flank, round, loin)

Trim visible fat

Reduce portion size
Chicken and turkey Remove skin before cooking

White meat more than dark

Ground turkey or chicken breast at least 90% lean, extra lean or white meat

Soy Chik’n Nuggets®

Lightly breaded chicken breast (Perdue® Simply Smart®)
Ground beef At least 90% lean beef

Brown, drain, rinse before adding to recipe

Ground turkey or chicken breast at least 90% lean, extra lean or white meat
Tip: Replace some meat in soups or casseroles with beans or lentils

Miscellaneous Ingredients

Ingredient Substitution
Fruit, canned in heavy syrup Canned fruit in light syrup or natural juice

Rinse fruit with water

Fresh or frozen unsweetened fruit
Gelatin or pudding mixes Sugar free gelatin

Sugar free and fat free pudding

Make pudding with nonfat (skim) milk
Soups or broth Lower fat and no salt added soups and broth
Syrup Lower calorie, sugar-free syrup

Pureed unsweetened fruit
Vegetables, canned No salt added canned vegetables

Rinse canned vegetables

Fresh or frozen

Seasoning Ingredients

Ingredient Substitution
MSG “Accent®” Eliminate
Salt Eliminate except for yeast breads

Reduce the amount

Herbs, spices, or salt-free seasoning mixes or herb blends
Seasoned salts (garlic, onion, celery) Fresh ingredients

Powdered seasonings
Soy sauce Less sodium soy sauce
Tip: Flavor foods with juices, vinegars, citrus zest or strongly flavored vegetables, such as onion or garlic

Cooking Methods

Ingredient Substitution
Sautéing Use a nonstick skillet. Less or no oil is required to prevent sticking

Use a nonstick cooking spray instead of butter, margarine, oil or shortening

Sauté foods in a small amount of wine, broth or juice instead of using fat or oil
Deep Frying Bake, broil, grill, roast or stew instead
Pan Frying Remove fat from cooked ground meat by draining in a colander or using paper towel to soak up grease
Baking Place meat on a rack while cooking so grease will drain off

Watch this video to learn more!

 


References

American Heart Association. Web. 12 Feb. 2019. https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/cooking-skills/cooking/smart-substitutions-to-eat-healthy

“Cooking Tips for Weight Management.” Nutrition Care Manual. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Web. 12 Feb. 2019. http://www.nutritioncaremanual.org/vault/2440/web/files/CookingTipsWeightMgmt.pdf

“Your Guide to Healthy Ingredient Substitutions.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 26 July 2016, https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/healthy-recipes/art-20047195