After the holiday season and the Super Bowl festivities, losing weight may be on a lot of our minds. If it is, try these healthy food substitutions:
Unsweetened applesauce for sugar.
This substitution can give you the necessary sweetness without the added calories of sugar. Substitute unsweetened applesauce in a 1:1 ratio, BUT….for every cup of applesauce, reduce the amount of liquid called for in a recipe by ¼ cup.
You can use this swap for banana bread, muffins, or boxed mixes. On your first try, only try swapping out half the fat. For instance, a recipe using 1 cup of butter instead would use ½ cup oil AND ½ cup unsweetened applesauce.
Natural peanut butter for reduced-fat peanut butter.
Be careful in that the reduced-fat versions of brand names may give the impression of “healthy”; they may have more sugar plus more artificial additives. That’s why natural peanut butter (unsalted) will give you the flavor without all the extra junk.
“Stevia” instead of sugar.
Stevia is 300 times sweeter than sugar, so a little goes a long way. However, it can cost much more in the grocery store. So a recipe calling for 1 cup of sugar should be swapped for 1 teaspoon of liquid stevia or 2 tablespoons of Stevia powder.
Plain yogurt with fresh fruit instead of flavored yogurt.
Flavored or fruity yogurts are packed with extra sugar. Opt for plain yogurt or, better yet, plain Greek yogurt, then you add the fresh fruit or honey.
Coconut milk for cream.
Coconut milk is a great substitute for heavy cream called for in various recipes.
Low-sodium soy sauce for standard soy sauce.
Taste is virtually the same, but the low or reduced-sodium can cut down significantly on your sodium intake by 50%.
Garlic or Onion powder instead of salt.
Garlic powder or Onion powder is chock full of flavor but doesn’t add all that sodium. Be careful, don’t mistake garlic/onion powder for garlic/onion ‘salt’. Salt is exactly what it says…salt / sodium.
Olive oil for butter.
When frying or stir-frying, sauté in olive oil instead of butter.
Almond milk for dairy milk.
It seems like almond milk is one of the ‘hottest’ products. Add almond milk to a smoothie, coffee, etc., even to your favorite recipe. There is controversy about possible growth hormones in cows.
If you try any of these “tips” you won’t feel guilty when you visit our office and we
offer you a biscotti with your coffee or water. Enjoy!