Healthier ingredient substitutes for your recipes

Love to eat but want to eat healthier? There are many ways you can still eat whatever you want while making sure that you are not eating junk. Here are some substitutes you can make to cut down on calories, fat, cholesterol and sodium while keeping your favorite recipes delicious.

Fat & Cholesterol

• Butter, margarine, shortening or oil in baked good can be substituted with a healthy oil such as canola, corn, olive, sunflower or any non-tropical oil. 
• Cooking spray or nonstick pans can be used instead of butter, margarine, shortening or oil to prevent sticking.
• Instead of full eggs, try 2 egg whites or 1/4 cup egg substitute for each whole egg.
• Use evaporated skim milk instead of the usual plain evaporated milk 
• Use fat free or low-fat cream cheese or low fat cottage cheese (pureed until smooth) instead of regular cream cheese.
• Sour cream can be replaced with fat-free plain yogurt, or fat free/low-fat sour cream.
• Try plain yogurt as a substitute for mayonnaise.

Sodium

• Substitute table salt with other spices such as cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg.

Sugar

• Reduce amount of sugar used in recipe by half.
• Instead of canned fruit in heavy syrup, use fresh fruit or canned fruit in its own juices or water.
• Fruit-flavored yogurt can be replaced with plain yogurt.

Carbohydrates

• Substitute wheat flour for white flour. Use 1 cup of wheat flour for every half cup of white flour.
• Oatmeal or bran cereal can be used in place of bread crumbs.
• Go for wheat bread or whole grain bread instead of white bread.