Smart Substitutes: Your guide to low-calorie cooking alternatives
CalorieKing.com Staff
Read on to find out how, by making some simple changes, you can have your cake and eat it too!
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Read more:
- How to reduce fat
- How to reduce sugar
- How to increase fiber
- Alternative cooking methods
- Recipe adaptation examples
How to reduce fat
Fat in the diet is essential for good health. However, too much fat can contribute to obesity, heart disease and some cancers. On average, Americans consume around 50 percent more fat than is considered healthy.
When adapting recipes, you can use the same quantity of a low-fat ingredient to replace a high-fat ingredient – and save on calories and fat. You can also prepare and cook foods in ways that reduce fat content.
| Ingredient | Alternative |
|---|---|
| Full-fat milk |
Nonfat milk (save 80 calories, 9.5g fat per cup) |
| Yogurt |
Low-fat or non-fat yogurt |
| Cream |
Low-fat evaporated milk (save 42 calories, 6g fat per Tbsp) |
| Coconut milk/cream | Low-fat coconut milk (save 100 calories, 8.5g fat per 1/2 cup) |
| Sour cream | Reduced-fat sour cream Low-fat natural yogurt Low-fat buttermilk Low-fat ricotta cheese blended with low-fat yogurt |
| Cream cheese | Low-fat ricotta cheese (save 32 calories, 4g fat per Tbsp) Quark cheese |
| Cheddar cheese | Use reduced fat varieties in smaller servings (save 20 calories, 3g fat per 1 oz) Use 1 Tbsp parmesan cheese to replace 1/2 cup cheddar as it has a stronger flavor and you can use less |
| Chicken | Remove the skin Control portion sizes (3.5 oz uncooked per person without bones, 7 oz with bones) |
| Meat | Trim all visible fat Choose lean cuts Control portion sizes (3.5 oz uncooked per person) |
| Bacon | Use turkey bacon (save 252 calories, 24g fat per 2 oz) Use Canadian bacon (save 222 calories, 22g fat per 2 oz) Use 97% fat-free varieties |
| Butter/margarine | Choose low-fat spreads Use applesauce or prune puree in baking to keep cakes moist |
| Oil | Cooking spray (save 143 calories, 16g fat per Tbsp) Use applesauce or prune puree in baking to keep cakes moist |
| Mayonnaise | Low-fat natural yogurt (save 70 calories, 10g fat per 2 fl.oz) Reduced-fat mayonnaise |
How to reduce sugar
It’s not a sin to occasionally enjoy sugary foods. The problem is that Americans consume, on average, around 90 lbs of refined sugar each year, or some 22 teaspoons every day. Only 25 percent is used at home or away. The rest is hidden in processed food products such as soft drinks, candy, cookies, cakes, sauces, canned fruits, ice cream, jelly and breakfast cereals.
On average, sugar contributes an extra 440 calories each day – enough to make the difference between a person being normal or overweight. Reduce sugar in your cooking and save calories!
| Ingredient | Alternative |
|---|---|
| Sugar - white or raw | Calorie-free sugar substitute in liquid or powder form Reduce sugar in recipes by half Use unsweetened applesauce, mashed bananas or other fruits in recipes where appropriate |
How to increase fiber
Increasing fiber in your diet is much easier if you substitute whole-grains for white or refined grains, such as white flour and white rice. As well as containing valuable fiber, whole-grains are a nutritious source of vitamins, trace minerals, antioxidants and phytochemicals.
| Ingredient | Higer-fiber options |
|---|---|
| White flours | Whole-grain or whole-wheat flour Half whole-grain or whole-wheat and half white flour |
| White rice | Brown rice |
| White pasta | Whole-wheat pasta Vegetable pasta |
| White bread | Sprouted grain bread Whole-wheat bread Whole-grain bread |
| Breadcrumbs | Use whole-grain breadcrumbs or natural bran |
| Fruits and vegetables | Leave skin on when possible |
Alternative cooking methods
When possible, use cooking methods that result in less fat being consumed. Here are some ideas for cutting back on fat when cooking:
| Conventional method | Alternative methods |
|---|---|
| Sauté or shallow frying | Use a non-stick pan Use a cooking spray Broil or barbecue instead Dry-fry on medium heat, stirring continuously Use stock or water for sautéing instead of oil Microwave food first, then crisp it up in the oven |
| Deep frying | Bake in the oven on a lightly greased tray Partly cook in the microwave and allow to brown in the oven |
| White sauce | Reduce the amount of butter or margarine you normally use by half Thicken with corn starch Use nonfat milk |
| Thickening sauces with flour | Boil rapidly to reduce the amount of liquid Thicken with extra pureed vegetables or tomato paste Add natural bran Use 1 Tbsp of cooked lentils |
Recipe adaptation examples
Here are two examples of recipes where the high-fat ingredients have been substituted with low-fat alternatives.
Savory Beef Rolls (Serves 4)
Original recipe: 545 calories per serving
Modified recipe: 250 calories per serving
Save: 295 calories per serving
| Ingredient | Modification |
|---|---|
| 2 lb rump steak | Too much meat for four people. Reduce to 1 lb. |
| 3 oz cream cheese | Use ricotta or quark |
| 1 Tbsp of oil | Reduce by half |
| 2 Tbsp cream | Use low-fat evaporated milk |
| ½ tsp mixed herbs Flour, salt & pepper 1 tsp soy sauce ½ cup beef stock 2 tsp parsley |
Use as stated |
Tomato and Basil Quiche (Serves 6)
Original recipe: 485 calories per serving
Modified recipe: 225-245 calories per serving
Save: 240-260 calories per serving
| Ingredient | Modification |
|---|---|
| Pastry | |
| 3 oz butter | Reduce by half or use low-fat substitute |
| 1 egg yolk | Omit |
| 1 cup plain flour 1 Tbsp lemon juice |
Use as stated |
| Filling | |
| 1 oz butter | Reduce to 1 tsp or use reduced-fat spread |
| 10 fl oz. cream | Use 5 fl. oz skim milk blended with 5 fl. oz ricotta |
| ¾ cup grated cheese | Use ½ cup of low-fat cheese |
| 2 eggs 1 leek Salt, pepper 3 small ripe tomatoes ¾ cup basil |
Use as stated or replace eggs with egg substitutes. |
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Last updated: October 18th, 2007
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