Smart Substitutions for Recipes
 | You can make many of your favorite recipes healthier by using lower-fat or no-fat ingredients. These healthy substitutions can help you cut down on saturated fats, trans fats and cholesterol, while noticing little, if any, difference in taste. |
When recipe calls for . . . | Use this instead … |
Whole milk (1 cup) | 1 cup fat-free or low-fat milk, plus one tablespoon of liquid vegetable oil |
Heavy cream (1 cup) | 1 cup evaporated skim milk or 1/2 cup low-fat yogurt and 1/2 cup plain low-fat unsalted cottage cheese |
Sour cream | Low-fat unsalted cottage cheese plus low-fat or fat-free yogurt; or just use fat-free sour cream |
Cream cheese | 4 tablespoons soft margarine (low in saturated fat and 0 grams trans fat) blended with 1 cup dry, unsalted low-fat cottage cheese; add a small amount of fat-free milk if needed |
Butter (1 tablespoon) | 1 tablespoon soft margarine (low in saturated fat and 0 grams trans fat) or 3/4 tablespoon liquid vegetable oil |
Egg (1) | 2 egg whites; or choose a commercially made, cholesterol-free egg substitute (1/4 cup) |
Unsweetened baking chocolate (1 ounce) | 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder or carob powder plus 1 tablespoon vegetable oil or soft margarine; since carob is sweeter than cocoa, reduce the sugar in the recipe by 25% |
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