When your recipes calls for: |
Use: |
| Bacon | Canadian bacon, turkey bacon, smoked turkey or Italian ham (prosciutto) |
| Butter (1 Tablespoon) | 1 Tablespoon polyunsaturated margarine or 3/4 Tablespoon polyunsaturated oil. Or a butter substitute for baking (Lighter Bake, applesauce, etc.) If using a pureed fruit such as applesauce, use it for half of the called for butter. For non-stick purposes: use a cooking spray, available in many flavors, even flour for baking |
| Buttermilk (1 Cup) | 1 cup milk + 1 Tablespoon vinegar |
| Cream Cheese | Fat-free or low-fat cream cheese, Neufchatel or low-fat cottage cheese pureed until smooth. Light cream cheese or four Tablespoons of margarine blended with 1 cup dry low-fat cottage cheese. Add a small amount of skim milk if needed in the blending mixture. Add chopped chives, pimento or herbs and seasonings for variety. |
| Creamed Soups | Fat-free milk-based soups, mashed potato flakes or pureed carrots, potatoes or tofu for thickening agents. |
| Cornstarch (1 1/2 teaspoons) | 1 Tablespoon flour |
| Dry Bread Crumbs | Rolled oats or crushed bran cereal |
| Eggs (1 egg) | 1 egg white plus 2 teaspoons of unsaturated oil or 3/4 cup cholesterol-free egg substitute. Replace each whole egg with two egg whites. For baking, you may want to add a tablespoons or less of liquid vegetable oil such as canola, safflower, sunflower or soybean for a moister consistency. |
| Enriched pasta | Whole-wheat pasta. If not ready to fully switch, try using half whole-wheat and half enriched. |
| Evaporated milk | Evaporated skim milk. |
| Flour | Whole-wheat flour for half of the called for flour in baked goods. Works best in cakes and muffins. |
| Fruit canned in heavy syrup | Fruit canned in its own juices or in water, or fresh fruit. |
| Fruit-flavored yogurt | Plain, low fat yogurt with fresh fruit slices. |
| Ground Beef | Extra-lean or lean ground beef, chicken or turkey breast (no skin added). Also try a meatless product such as ground soy or tofu. |
| Heavy Cream (1 Cup) | 1 cup evaporated skim milk or 1/2 cup low-fat yogurt and 1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese |
| Iceberg lettuce | Arugula, chicory, collard greens, spinach, romaine and other dark leafy greens |
| Margarine in baked goods | Trans fat-free butter spreads or shortenings formulated for baking. Don't substitute diet, whipped or tub-style margarine for regular margarine in baked goods. |
| Mayonnaise | Reduced-calorie or fat-free mayo |
| Meat as the main Ingredient | Three times as many vegetables as the meat on pizzas or in baked dishes, soups and stews. You can also substitute a meatless product such as soy or tofu. |
| Oil-based marinades | Wine, balsamic vinegar, fruit juice or fat-free broth |
| Oil (1 Cup) | 1 1/4 cups polyunsaturated margarine (or butter/oil substitute for baking) |
| Salad dressing | Reduced-fat or fat-free dressing or flavored vinegar |
| Seasonings and Salt | Herb-only seasonings, such as garlic powder, celery seed or onion flakes, fresh herbs, no sodium products such as Mrs. Dash |
| Shortening (1 Cup) | 2 sticks polyunsaturated margarine |
| Soups, sauces, dressings, crackers, or canned meat, fish or vegetables) | Low-sodium or reduced-sodium versions |
| Sour cream | Low-fat or fat free sour cream or try one of the following: Low-fat cottage cheese plus low-fat yogurt for flavor; Ricotta cheese made from partially skimmed milk (thinned with yogurt or buttermilk); one can of chilled evaporated skim milk whipped with one teaspoon of lemon juice; or low-fat buttermilk or low-fat yogurt. |
| Soy sauce | Sweet- and- sour sauce, hot mustard sauce or low-sodium soy sauce |
| Sugar (1 Cup) | In Baking: Honey- 3/4 Cup + 1 TBSP Maple Syrup: 3/4 Cup Molasses- 1 1/3 Cup Artificial sugars: Use according to package directions |
| Syrup | Pureed fruit, such as applesauce, or low-calorie, sugar-free syrup |
| Unsweetened baking chocolate (1 ounce) | 3 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder or carob powder plus 1 Tablespoons of polyunsaturated oil or margarine. (Carob is sweeter than cocoa, so reduce the sugar in the recipe by one-fourth) |
| White (enriched) bread | Whole-wheat bread |
| White (enriched) rice | Brown rice, wild rice, bulgur or pearl barley |
| Whole Milk (1 Cup) | 1 Cup of skim or nonfat milk plus 1 Tbsp. of unsaturated oil or reduced milk |
Minnesota State
University, Mankato
Mankato, MN 56001
1-800-722-0544
© 2005-2013 Minnesota State University, Mankato. Minnesota State University, Mankato is a member of
Minnesota State Colleges & Universities system and an affirmative action/equal opportunity university.
