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Making meals healthier is not as hard as it may seem. Keeping a well stocked
pantry and freezer with some nutritious essentials is pretty easy once you get
the hang of it.
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If your recipe calls for:
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Try substituting:
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Bacon
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Canadian bacon, turkey bacon, smoked turkey or lean prosciutto (Italian ham)
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Butter, margarine, shortening or oil to prevent sticking
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Cooking spray or nonstick pans
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Creamed soups
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Fat-free milk-based soups or tofu for thickening agents
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Eggs
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Two egg whites or 1/4 cup egg substitute for each whole egg
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Full-fat cream cheese
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Fat-free cream cheese
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Full-fat sour cream
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Fat-free or low-fat sour cream |
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Ground beef
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Extra-lean or lean ground beef, chicken or turkey
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Mayonnaise
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Reduced-calorie mayonnaise-type salad dressing or reduced-calorie, reduced-fat
mayonnaise
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Oil-based marinades
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Wine, balsamic vinegar, fruit juice or fat-free broth
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Salad dressing
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Fat-Free or reduced-calorie dressing or flavored vinegars
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Seasoning salt, such as garlic salt, celery salt or onion salt
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Herb-only seasonings, such as garlic powder, celery seed or onion flakes, or
use finely chopped garlic, celery or onions
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Soups, sauces, dressings, crackers, or canned meat, fish or vegetables
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Low-sodium or reduced-sodium versions
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Soy sauce
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Sweet-and-sour sauce, hot mustard sauce or low-sodium soy sauce
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Table salt
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Herbs, spices, fruit juices or salt-free seasoning mixes or herb blends
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All-purpose (plain) flour
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Whole-wheat flour for half of the called-for all-purpose flour
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Dry bread crumbs
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Rolled oats or crushed bran cereal
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Enriched pasta
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Whole-wheat pasta
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Iceberg lettuce
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Arugula, chicory, collard greens, dandelion greens, kale, mustard greens, spinach
or watercress
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Meat as the main ingredient
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Three times as many vegetables as the meat on pizzas or in casseroles, soups
and stews
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White bread
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Whole-wheat bread
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White rice
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Brown rice, wild rice, bulgur or pearl barley
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