How to Make Your Favorite Recipes Healthy!
Use the suggestions below to help cut calories, fat, sodium, or added sugars in your favorite recipes.
Start with only one modification at a time. If your recipe does not turn out, you will have a better
understanding on what went wrong. Making a lot of changes at one time will make it more difficult to
pinpoint what made the recipe flop.
To Decrease Saturated Fat:
Recipe Calls For:
Shortening or butter
Mayonnaise
Sour cream
Milk
Cream or buttermilk
Cottage cheese
Cheese
Cream cheese
Eggs
Ground beef
Beef or pork
Bacon
Chicken or turkey
Baking chocolate
Try Instead:
Liquid oil- for every ¼ cup (4 tablespoons) of solid
fat, instead use 3 tablespoons canola oil
Plain nonfat Greek yogurt
Plain nonfat Greek yogurt
Skim or 1% milk
Fat free half and half
Evaporated skim milk
1% cottage cheese
Reduced fat cheese
½ the amount of a sharp flavored cheese
Reduced fat cream cheese
2 egg whites per 1 whole egg
¼ cup egg substitute
1 tablespoon flaxseed meal + 3 tablespoons
water
93% lean ground beef or 93% lean ground turkey
Loin, sirloin, round, or chop
Canadian bacon or turkey bacon
Skinless chicken or turkey breast
Cocoa powder- for every 1 ounce baking
chocolate, instead use 3 tablespoons cocoa
powder + 1 tablespoon canola oil
To Decrease Sodium:
Recipe Calls For:
Garlic, onion, or celery salt
Rubs or seasoning blends
Salt
Soy sauce
Canned vegetables, beans, tomatoes
Broth
Cream soup
Try Instead:
Garlic, onion, or celery powder
Salt free seasoning blends (read ingredients to
avoid salt)
Herbs, spices, or salt-free seasoning blends
Omit or use ½ the amount
Reduced sodium soy sauce
No salt added varieties
Reduced sodium varieties
Drain and rinse vegetables to remove up to 40%
sodium
Frozen varieties without added sauces
Low sodium varieties
“Heart Healthy” or “Healthy Request” varieties
To Decrease Added Sugars:
Recipe Calls For:
Juice
Fruit-flavored yogurt
Canned fruit in syrup
Sugar
Try Instead:
100% fruit juice
Plain yogurt and add fresh fruit
Canned fruit in juice or water
Use ¼ or 1/3 less, then add vanilla extract,
cinnamon, or nutmeg
To Increase Fiber:
Recipe Calls For:
Pasta
Bread
Tortillas
All purpose flour
Rice
Lettuce
Source: Well Balanced- Family Fresh Market
Try Instead:
Whole wheat pasta
Whole wheat bread
Whole wheat tortillas
Use ½ all purpose flour and ½ whole wheat flour
Brown or wild rice
Romaine, baby spinach, or other leafy greens