Recipe Substitutions for the Holidays
By Brittany Lightsey, MS, RD, LD
Want to create a healthier holiday meal for your family? Look to see if your recipe calls for any of the
ingredients below and experiment. Each ingredient can be equally substituted unless otherwise
noted.
Bread crumbs
Crushed corn flakes or bran cereal
Rolled oats
Butter
Baking:
Cooking:
Avocado puree
Canola oil
Mashed bananas
Olive oil
Applesauce (½ butter, ½
applesauce)
Cheese
Part-skim or reduced fat cheese
Chocolate chips
Dried cherries or cranberries
Cacao nibs
Cream
Evaporated fat-free milk
Fat-free half and half
Low-fat or skim milk
Condensed cream soup
White sauce (1 cup fat-free milk, 1 Tbsp
plant-based butter spread, 2 Tbsp flour)
Broth-based soup
Cream cheese
Fat-free or low-fat cream cheese
Neufchatel cheese
Greek yogurt & cream cheese block/
spread
Egg, whole
2 egg whites
Flour, all-purpose
Half whole wheat flour and half white
flour
Mayonnaise
Avocado mash
Plain Greek yogurt, non-fat
Oil
Mashed banana
Sour Cream
Plain Greek yogurt, non-fat
Cottage cheese blended with lemon
juice
Fat-free or low-fat sour cream
Sugar
Vanilla extract – 2 Tbsp for every cup
sugar
Applesauce
Maple-Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Prep time: 10 minutes
Servings: 8
Ingredients
Instructions
2 ½ pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut
into 1 ½ inch pieces)
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Arrange sweet potatoes in an even
layer in a 9-by-13 inch glass baking
dish.
3. Combine rest of ingredients in a small
bowl.
4. Pour the mixture over the sweet
potatoes; toss to coat.
5. Cover and bake for 15 minutes.
Uncover and stir every 15 minutes,
cooking for 45 to 50 minutes more.
Nutrition Facts: Calories: 179, Fat: 2 g, Carbs: 36 g, Fiber: 4 g, Protein: 2 g, Sodium: 217 mg
Recipe adapted from eatingwell.com
Sage Stuffing
Prep time: 15 minutes
Servings: 12
Ingredients
Instructions
30 slices day-old whole grain bread, crusts
removed, cut into small cubes
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 large celery stalks, chopped
1/3 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
½ bunch fresh sage, stems removed,
coarsely chopped
3 cups hot low-fat, reduced sodium chicken
broth
1 egg, lightly beaten
½ cup dried cranberries or cherries, coarsely
chopped
Kosher salt and fresh-ground pepper to taste
Paprika
1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Add bread
to a large bowl.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet
over medium heat. Add the
onions and celery and sauté for 3
minutes. Add the walnuts and
sauté for 2 minutes. Add in the
sage and cook for one minute.
3. Add the onion-sage mixture to the
bread. Pour the hot chicken broth
and egg over the mixture, and mix
well. Add in the cranberries or
cherries. Season well with salt and
pepper.
4. Add the mixture to a large
casserole dish, and sprinkle with
paprika. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or
until the top is brown and crusty.
Nutrition Facts: Calories: 190, Fat: 6 g, Carbs: 28 g, Fiber: 5 g, Sodium: 385
Recipe adapted from The American Diabetes Association