Sensational Substitutions for Cooking and Baking
Make Your Favorite Foods Diet-Friendly
-- By Becky Hand, Licensed & Registered Dietitian
New Year’s Resolutions…always made and often broken.Is your motivation waning? Are you already feeling deprived because your favorite recipes are off limits? Making meals count is important. Meals should be satisfying, good tasting, pleasing to the eye, nutritious, and have a texture that is pleasing to your palate. Otherwise, you WILL feel deprived. The good news? It is easy to modify some of your favorite recipes by using the sensational substitutions listed below. You don’t have to eat a sparse and boring "diet meal" any longer.
Cooking Substitutions
|
1 Cup Cream |
1 Cup Evaporated Milk |
|
Cream to thicken Soups |
Pureed Potatoes or Vegetables |
|
Oil-based Marinades |
Citrus Juice or Flavored Vinegar |
|
Stick Margarine |
Small amounts of Olive oil, Canola oil, or Broth |
|
2 ounces of Mild Cheddar Cheese |
1 ounce Reduced-fat Sharp Cheddar Cheese |
|
White Rice |
Brown rice, Bulgur, Kasha, Quinoa, Whole Wheat Couscous |
|
Meat or Poultry for Stir Fry |
Tofu (Extra Firm, Cubed) or more Vegetables |
|
Ground Meat |
Ground Turkey Breast; Finely Chopped Vegetables with Less Meat; Crumbled Tofu, Tempeh, or Soy Crumbles; Beans |
Baking Substitutions
|
1/2 Cup Oil, Butter or Margarine |
1/4 Cup Applesauce + 1/4 Cup Canola Oil, Butter, or Margarine |
|
1 Egg |
2 Egg Whites |
|
Sweetened Condensed Milk |
Nonfat Sweetened Condensed Milk |
|
Evaporated Milk |
Evaporated Skim Milk |
|
1 Cup Chocolate Chips |
1/2 Cup Mini Chocolate Chips, Chopped Dried Fruit, or Chopped Nuts |
|
Frosting |
Sliced Fresh Fruit with a dusting of Powdered Sugar |
|
Sour Cream |
Nonfat Sour Cream, Low fat Sour Cream, Pureed Low Fat Cottage Cheese |
|
Whole Milk |
Skim Milk |
|
Cream Cheese |
Low Fat Cream Cheese |
|
Sugar |
Artificial sweetener for some or all (follow manufacturer’s directions); 1/4 to 1/2 Less Sugar in the recipe |
