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Trimming the Holidays with Lighter Recipes

Try these ingredient substitutions to reduce calories, fat, cholesterol and sodium while keeping the flavor in your favorite recipes.


Cooking with Eggs

Don’t crack up

Instead of whole eggs, try two egg whites or 1/4 cup egg substitute for each whole egg in a recipe.

Children in santa hats making cookies

In the can

Use evaporated skim milk instead of evaporated milk.

Cottage cheese and pureed cottage cheese

Say cheese

Use fat-free or low-fat cream cheese, or low-fat cottage cheese (pureed until smooth) instead of cream cheese.

Choosing healthy oil at the grocery store

Churn the fat

In baked goods, use ¾ cup of a healthy oil (canola, corn, olive, sunflower or any non-tropical oil) instead of one cup of butter, margarine or shortening. Or, replace half of the butter or shortening with applesauce or prune puree.

Two children baking with their father

You're too sweet

In baked goods, use half the amount of sugar in the recipe. Use canned fruit in its own juices or water.

Child in a yellow shirt smiling with a mixing bowl

Lighten the dollop

Substitute the same amount of fat-free plain yogurt, or fat-free/low-fat sour cream for full fat sour cream.

Plain greek yogurt in a small jar

The new mayo

Replace mayonnaise with an equal amount of plain yogurt or plain Greek yogurt.

A collection of spices including cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg

Spice it up

Replace salt with an equal amount of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg or other spices.

Cookies on a baking sheet in the oven

Grease is the word

Use cooking spray or nonstick pans instead of butter, margarine, shortening or oil to prevent sticking.

Mother and daughter baking cookies

Lower the carbs

Use ½ cup of wheat flour for each cup of white flour in the recipe.


This information has been approved by Amy V. Lukowski, PsyD (November 2017).