Healthy Substitutions

Source: The American Dietetic Association’s Complete Food &
Nutrition Guide

by Roberta Larson Duyff, MS, RD, CFCS

Ingredient Substitute
Bacon Canadian bacon

Lean ham

Butter, lard, and other
saturated fat (coconut oil, palm oil)
Soft tub margarine (first
ingredient on food label listed as liquid vegetable oil)*

Corn, cottonseed, olive, rapeseed (canola), safflower,
sesame, soybean or sunflower oil

*(When cooking, it is better not to substitute reduced-fat
margarine or corn oil spreads for regular butter and margarine
unless a recipe has been specifically developed for their use.
Their increased water content can make a substantial difference
in the food’s taste, appearance and texture).

Chocolate 1 ounce baking chocolate = 3
T. cocoa powder and 1 T. oil
Cream Evaporated skim milk
Cream soup Defatted broths

Broth-based or skim milk-based soups

Full-fat cheese Low-fat, skim-milk cheese

Cheese with less than 5 grams of fat per ounce

Fat-free cheese

Ground beef Extra lean ground beef

Lean ground turkey or chicken

Ice cream Low-fat or nonfat ice
cream

Frozen low-fat or nonfat yogurt

Frozen fruit juice products

Sorbet

Mayonnaise Low-fat or fat-free
mayonnaise

Whipped salad dressing

Plain low-fat yogurt combined with low-fat cottage cheese

Nuts Dried fruit such as
raisins, chopped dried apricots or dried cranberries
Ricotta cheese Low-fat or fat-free cottage
cheese

Nonfat or low-fat ricotta cheese

Salad dressing Low-calorie commercial
dressings

Homemade dressing made with unsaturated oils, water, and
vinegar or lemon juice

Sausage Lean ground turkey

95% fat-free sausage

Sour cream Plain low-fat yogurt

1/2 C. cottage cheese blended with 1-1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

Fat-free sour cream

Whipped cream Chilled, whipped evaporated
skim milk

Nondairy whipped topping made from polyunsaturated fat

Whole egg Two egg whites

1/4 C. cholesterol-free liquid egg product

1 egg white plus 2 teaspoon oil

One egg yolk = One egg white

One egg (as thickener) = 1 T. flour

Whole milk (as a beverage
or in recipes)
Skim, 1 percent or 2 percent milk

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