Love the flavor, skip the extra fat and salt
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EmailMany favorite foods are full of flavor and tradition, but can be unhealthy. Learn more about simple substitutions that can add health benefits without compromising taste.
Many of us have favorite meals that remind us of our family or cultural traditions. Across the U.S., what comes to mind might be soul food, northeastern seafood, Creole cuisine, southwestern Tex-Mex, and more.
Many comfort foods can be high in fat and added salt, but the good news is, you can still enjoy your favorites while making healthier choices.
The table below offers some suggested substitutions you might try to use with your own recipes, or try new recipes that use alternative ingredients. Keep in mind that just because a recipe calls for a specific ingredient, that doesn’t always mean it is necessary to include it. Experimentation is one of the joys of cooking. By making simple ingredient substitutions or changes in preparation methods, your favorite recipes can be nutritious and delicious.
High-fat and high-calorie ingredient substitution suggestions |
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When the recipe calls for… |
Use… |
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Cooking with butter, stick margarine, lard, bacon, or bacon fat |
Soft, tub margarine (first ingredient on food label is liquid vegetable oil), apple sauce, nontropical vegetable oils, such as corn canola, olive and more. |
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Baking with butter or oil |
Applesauce, mashed banana |
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Deep frying with oils/fats |
Air fry, bake, grill, or roast with only minimal additions of a vegetable or olive oil. |
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Sour cream |
Plain low-fat yogurt or non-fat yogurt, light or fat–free sour cream or blend low fat cottage cheese with lemon juice (1 teaspoon lemon juice for every half cup of cheese), flavor it with herbs such as dill, parsley, oregano, garlic or thyme |
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Whole milk |
Skim, 2%, 1%, or ½% low fat milk |
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Cream |
Low-fat or Greek yogurt thinned with reduce fat milk |
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Full fat cheeses |
Low-fat or fat-free cheeses |
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Beef or pork |
Skinless chicken or turkey, lean cuts, and sometimes vegetarian/vegan options |
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Mayonnaise |
Low-fat or fat free mayonnaise or whipped salad dressing, or plain low-fat yogurt |
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Salad dressings |
Low-fat or nonfat versions, or make a simple vinaigrette with pantry staples by combining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. |
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Whole egg |
Two egg whites or ¼ cup egg substitute, applesauce, aquafaba, or the liquid of a can of beans, 1 tablespoon of ground flax seeds and 3 tablespoons of water for 1 egg equivalent |
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Nuts in baked goods |
Reduce the amount by half and toast them to strengthen the flavor |
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Pastry crust |
Graham cracker crust or, in a pinch, frozen reduced calorie pie shell. See substitutions above for possible butter substitutions in the crust. |
Sodium reduction and salt substitution suggestions |
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When the recipe calls for… |
Use… |
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Salt (ordinary table salt, which is sodium chloride) |
· Potassium salt (potassium chloride) sold as lite salt (50% less sodium) or salt substitute (sodium free). Read here for more information about benefits or special conditions to ask your doctor about. · Salts that have larger grains, such as sea salt and kosher salt. These do not have less sodium, but they do pack more flavor for the volume, so you can half the amount of salt you use (1/2 teaspoon if the recipe calls for 1 teaspoon). |
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Canned products |
Try to buy fresh or frozen (or dried in the case of pastas) to avoid added salt and control how much salt you add to a dish. You can also look for canned or packaged vegetables, beans, or other food items labeled "low sodium," "reduced sodium," or "no salt added" when available. If there is added salt, then halve the salt you normally add to a recipe. |
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Processed meats (cured, salted, smoked, or otherwise processed) |
Use fresh poultry, fish or meat |
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Flavorings (spice mixes, soy sauce, parmesan cheese, dressings, sauce mixes) |
Reduced or low-sodium options are often still salty enough that you don’t need to add any additional salt to your meal. Otherwise, cut down use of those ingredients and enhance flavor with garlic, lemon juice or zest, fresh herbs and salt-free seasoning mixes. |
Try a modification or two the next time you cook. Don’t worry about making a complete lifestyle change overnight; take baby steps. You will give yourself more opportunity to adjust as you find what works best for you, and this will give you a better chance of sticking with your changes!
Michigan State University Extension offers nutrition education classes for adults and youth that include information on whole grains and reading labels. More information can be found at http://msue.anr.msu.edu/topic/info/nutrition.
