| Healthy Cooking Substitutions: Ideas From Registered Dietitians |
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Dessert Tip| IF YOU LIKE ... | TRY ... |
| butter and cream in mashed potatoes | using buttermilk instead of cream and light butter instead of regular. —Tsang |
| cream in soup recipes |
fat-free half-and-half for a smooth texture without cream's saturated fat. —Duryea |
|
oil for sauteing |
defatted broth or white wine. Substitute 2 tablespoons of fat for calorie and fat savings. —Ruggiero (Editor's note: On the other hand, a small amount of oil with your vegetables can be nutritious. Read more in the box on this page, where it talks about salads and salad dressings.) |
| rice | using brown rice (a whole grain) and mixing in toasted almonds and dried fruit bits before cooking. The result is a nutty and sweet side dish with added iron and heart-healthy monounsaturated fat. —Owens |
Healthy Substitutions for BAKING
| IF YOU LIKE ... | TRY ... |
| butter for baking |
Smart Balance 67% Buttery Spread. It bakes and cooks well, exchanging equal amounts of the butter a recipe calls for--with about 65 percent less saturated fat and 20 percent fewer calories. —Duryea (Editor's note: Smart Balance contains palm fruit oil. Read about this ingredient in the box labeled "Palm Oil Controversy" on this page.) |
| butter in frosting or icing | replacing it with marshmallow creme, for creaminess without fat. —Ruggiero |
| buttermilk biscuits |
substituting whole-wheat pastry flour and using half canola oil and half butter (instead of all butter), for more fiber and less saturated fat. —Hingle |
| brownies: packaged mixes | substituting equal parts plain, nonfat yogurt for the oil. The brownies are chocolaty and delicious without the fat! —Owens |
|
cornbread and butter |
adding real corn (for flavor, texture and fiber), whole-wheat flour (instead of white) and vegetable oil (instead of butter). Use cranberry sauce for a delicious, healthier topping. —Heller |
| muffins or pancakes |
adding ground flaxseed and whole oats to packaged muffin and pancake mixes to increase the fiber and add omega 3s. You can also use frozen berries for additional fiber and an antioxidant boost. —Owens |
| muffins, pancakes or waffles | adding puréed, cooked pumpkin, sweet potato or carrots for beta carotene. Grated carrots or zucchini also works well in pancakes and muffins when trying to eat more vegetables. —Priebe |
| sour cream in baked goods or recipes | fat-free plain yogurt. It tastes amazing in ambrosia-style fruit salads and is even delicious in stroganoff! (It also has more calcium than sour cream.) —Ruggiero |
| IF YOU LIKE ... | TRY ... |
|
meatloaf |
half extra-lean ground beef (like ground round) and half turkey, with whole-wheat breadcrumbs, for more fiber and reduced saturated fat and calories. (Also, drain the excess fat after the meatloaf's done cooking; this won't dry it out.) —Hingle |
| fried chicken | oven-baked chicken: Spray chicken tenders with cooking-oil spray. Roll in bread crumbs. Bake at 400º for 20 minutes, turning after 10. —McDonald |
- Cynthanne Duryea, R.D., L.D., Cooper Clinic (Dallas and McKinney, Texas)
- Samantha L. Heller, M.S., R.D., C.D.N., nutrition counselor, Fairfield, Conn.
- Melanie Hingle, M.P.H., R.D., senior research specialist, University of Arizona.
- Linda McDonald, M.S., R.D., L.D., editor, Supermarket Savvy newsletter
- Mindy Podolsky Owens, M.S., R.D., owner, Have a Healthy Home, Los Angeles
- Robyn Priebe, R.D., C.D., director of nutrition, Green Mountain at Fox Run health retreat, Ludlow, Vt.
- Tina Ruggiero, M.S., R.D., corporate and private nutrition consultant, Tierra Verde, Fla.; blogger, Voice of Reason
-
Gloria Tsang, R.D., founder, nutrition community HealthCastle.com
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