Smart Stand-Ins
Use the following tips to trim fat in your favorite recipes. Experiment to determine the type and amount of substitutions that can be made without compromising flavor.
| If the recipe says: | try this instead |
|---|---|
| Whole Milk | Skim or 1% milk |
| Light cream | Equal portions of 1% milk and evaporated skim milk |
| Heavy cream | Equal portions of half-and-half and evaporated skim milk |
| 1 ounce baking chocolate | 3 tablespoons cocoa (if you need to replace fat in chocolate, add 1 tablespoon or less of vegetable oil) |
| Fudge sauce | Chocolate syrup |
| Nuts, coconut | Reduce amount called for in recipes; toast to enhance flavor |
| Whipped cream | Whip chilled evaporated milk or use reduced-fat, whipped toppings |
| Sour cream | Low-fat or non-fat sour cream, low-fat yogurt, or blend 1 cup low fat cottage cheese with 1 tablespoon skim milk and two tablespoons lemon juice |
| Mayonnaise | Reduced-fat or fat-free versions, low-fat or fat-free plain yogurt |
| Mayonnaise on a sandwich | Reduced-fat or fat-free versions, mustard, fruit and vegetable chutney, salsa |
| Butter, lard, margarine, shortening | To cut total fat, reduce amount called for in recipes by 1/3. In baking, replace some fat with fruit purees. |
| Oil (in baking) | Equal amount of applesauce |
| 1 whole egg | 2 egg whites |
| Cream cheese | Reduced-fat (often called "Neufchatel cheese") or fat-free versions |
| Ricotta cheese | 1% cottage cheese, skim or non-fat ricotta |
| Whole-milk cheese | Skim-milk mozzarella or low-fat or fat-free versions |
| Higher-fat cuts of meat labeled "choice" or "prime" grades | Leaner meat cuts labeled as "select" grade, such as round, sirloin, top loin, lean and extra-lean ground beef |
| Luncheon meats | Low-fat versions of higher-fat luncheon meats, skinless turkey or chicken breast, lean ham or roast beef |
| Sausage | Ground skinless turkey breast |
| Bacon | Canadian bacon, turkey bacon, lean ham |
| Avocado, olives, coconut, etc. as salad garnishes | Decorative fruit and vegetable garnishes that are lower in fat, such as cucumber slices, orange segments or twists, carrot curls and tomato roses |
| Higher-fat frosting | Sifted confectioner's sugar, sifted cocoa or flavored marshmallow cream |