HEALTHY COOKING
SUBSTITUTES
USE NONFAT PLAIN YOGURT,
NOT SOUR CREAM
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When your recipe calls for: sour
cream
Use this ingredient
instead: nonfat plain yogurt
Best used for: sauces, some baked
goods
Why substitute? Nonfat plain
yogurt has no fat, plus has nearly
no cholesterol per serving. The
consistency remains the same as
sour cream for your cooking needs.
USE EVAPORATED SKIM MILK, NOT
HEAVY CREAM
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When your recipe calls
for: heavy cream
Use this ingredient
instead: evaporated skim
milk
Best used for: custards,
desserts
Why substitute? Use
evaporated skim milk to
remove the fat and calories
of heavy cream while
maintaining the consistency.
USE EGG SUBSTITUTE, NOT WHOLE EGG
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When your recipe calls for: a whole
egg
Use this ingredient instead: 1/4 cup
egg substitute or 2 egg whites
Best used for: baked goods, omelets
Why substitute? Whole eggs are
high in cholesterol, containing 2/3 the
daily recommended total. Choose an
egg substitute that contains no fat or
cholesterol. For baked goods, check
to see that the substitute contains
added lecithin, which can act as an
emulsifier or thickener.
USE FAT-FREE RICOTTA CHEESE,
NOT CREAM CHEESE
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When your recipe calls for: cream
cheese
Use this ingredient instead: fat-free
ricotta cheese or yogurt cheese*
Best used for: spreading
Why Substitute? Fat-free ricotta cheese
has less sodium than cream cheese. Yogurt
cheese has the tang and texture of a soft
cream cheese, but it’s a healthier option.
A tablespoon of cream cheese has 50
calories and 5 grams of fat. A
tablespoon of yogurt cheese (made from
nonfat yogurt) has 11 calories and no fat.
And it can be easily made at home.
USING COOKING SPRAY, NOT BUTTER
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When your recipe calls for: butter
Use this ingredient instead: cooking
spray and/or nonstick cookware
Best used for: baking, sautéing
Why substitute? When making this
substitution, you’re cutting out the fat
from the butter.
Tip to make the switch: Add a
flavor-booster like garlic when
sautéing vegetables, or marinate
your meat in an apple cider or fruit
juice to bring back some of the taste
lost without butter.
USE REDUCED-FAT CHEESE,
NOT REGULAR CHEESE
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When your recipe calls
for: cheese
Use this ingredient instead: 2%
milk, low-fat, or fat-free cheese
Best used for: sandwiches, salads,
melting
Why substitute? Choosing low-fat
cheese will save you fat and
cholesterol. Be sure to look for a
low-fat cheese that’s also low in
sodium.
USE FRESH HERBS, NOT SEASONING SALT
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When your recipe calls
for: seasoning salt
Use this ingredient instead: saltfree dried herb blends, fresh
herbs, garlic, or fresh peppers
Best used for: entrees, side
dishes, dips, sauces
Why substitute? Seasoning salt is
high in sodium, which can increase
your blood pressure. Add saltfree blends and fresh herbs to
enhance the flavor of your dish
without worrying about your
numbers.
USE REDUCED-FAT CHEESE, NOT
REGULAR CHEESE
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When your recipe calls
for: cheese
Use this ingredient
instead: 2% milk, low-fat, or
fat-free cheese
Best used for: sandwiches,
salads, melting
Why substitute? Choosing lowfat cheese will save you fat
and cholesterol. Be sure to look
for a low-fat cheese that’s also
low in sodium.
USE APPLESAUCE AND BUTTERMILK,
NOT BUTTER
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When your recipe calls for: vegetable oil,
butter, or margarine
Use this ingredient instead: 1/2 applesauce
and 1/2 buttermilk
Best used for: muffins, quick breads, cakes
from mix
Why substitute? According to the USDA, 1/2
cup of salted butter contains roughly 900
calories and 92 grams of fat, while a 1/2 cup
of unsweetened applesauce contains about 50
calories and zero grams of fat.
Tips on making the switch: Use a standard
liquid measuring cup and add the applesauce
with the liquid ingredients. Reduce the amount
of added sugar in the recipe if the applesauce
is sweetened. Try not to overbake recipes; lowfat recipes tend to dry out when overbaked.
USE EVAPORATED SKIM MILK,
NOT HEAVY CREAM
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When your recipe calls
for: heavy cream
Use this ingredient
instead: evaporated skim milk
Best used for: custards, desserts
Why substitute? Use evaporated
skim milk to remove the fat and
calories of heavy cream while
maintaining the consistency.
USE LEAN GROUND TURKEY, NOT GROUND BEEF
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When your recipe calls for: ground beef
Use this ingredient instead: lean ground
turkey breast or meatless crumbles
Best used for: meat sauces, burgers, meat
loaves, tacos
Why substitute? Ground turkey breast
has less fat than beef. Meatless crumbles
are a great vegetarian substitution; they
also have four times less fat and zero
cholesterol.
Tip on making the switch: Burgers will
pack more tightly and are less likely to
crumble when using a 1/2 ground beef,
1/2 lean ground turkey breast ratio.
USE LOW-FAT YOGURT AND COTTAGE
CHEESE, NOT SOUR CREAM
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When your recipe calls for: sour
cream
Use this ingredient instead: equal
parts low-fat yogurt and low-fat nosalt-added cottage cheese
Best used for: dips, salad dressings
Why substitute? The combination of
the yogurt and cottage cheese gives
your recipe lower fat content with
the same consistency. If you choose
the no-salt added cottage cheese,
your dip will also be lower in
sodium.
Tip on making the switch: Puree
the yogurt and cottage cheese in a
blender for a smooth consistency.
USE MARSHMALLOW CREME, NOT BUTTER
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When your recipe calls
for: butter or margarine
Use this ingredient
instead: marshmallow creme
Best used for: Frosting
Why Substitute? One serving of
marshmallow creme has no fat or
cholesterol, compared with the
11.5 grams of fat and 31 mg of
cholesterol in one serving of
butter. Using the marshmallow
creme will also give your frosting
a sweetened taste and thicker
consistency.
USE MINI CHOCOLATE CHIPS,
NOT CHOCOLATE CHUNKS
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When your recipe calls for: milk chocolate
chunks
Use this ingredient instead: 1/2 the
amount of mini milk chocolate chips or
finely chopped dark chocolate
Best used for: baking
Why substitute? Using mini chocolate
chips means that every bite still has the
sweet flavor, but by using less overall you
cut the calories. If you sub dark chocolate
(with 70 percent cocoa and cocoa
powder) you gain flavonoids that help
keep blood vessels clear and flowing.
Dark chocolate also can increase levels of
HDL, or “good” cholesterol, by up to 10
percent, according to a 2006 study in
Finland.
USE BABY PRUNES, NOT BUTTER
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When your recipe calls for: butter,
margarine, or oil
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Use this ingredient instead: baby prunes
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Best used for: brownies, dark quick breads
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Why substitute? Substituting baby prunes for
oil and butter cuts more than half the fat and
calories.
Tips on making the switch: The color of the
prunes will change the batter color, so use
this swap when baking dark breads or
brownies. The recipe will bake up denser and
have more moisture. Also, be sure to snip the
tips of the prunes and finely chop them for
the recipe