Healthier Cooking

Top 10 Foods for a Healthier Cooking Substitutions

Applesauce for oil butter or sugar

Applesauce is a healthy baker's best friend. Not only does it add sweetness recipes but it does so with significantly less calories than sugar. And without butter you are cutting the saturated fat content of baked goods such as muffins breads and brownies. Not to mention the additional benefits of dietary apples fiber.

Nonfat Greek yogurt for mayo or sour cream

Nonfat Greek yogurt has much less calories and fat than mayonnaise or sour cream but his consistency is quite similar. Next time a recipe calls for ingredients for this mast try it with yogurt instead. You can play around with spices and ingredients but by the swap you can cut the fat while adding an extra punch of protein.

Mashed avocado for butter or oil in baking

Not all fats are bad for your body. the fats found in avocados actually do you any good. Such as olive oil and nuts avocados are a healthy cholesterol level and help ward off heart problems high in monounsaturated good fats that you maintain. In contrast solid fats like butter are high in saturated fats which increase your cholesterol levels and the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Mashed Bananas sugar, butter and fats

Sliced ​​bananas are a tasty addition to cereals and oatmeal but you can give them an even greater role in the kitchen as sugar butter and fat substitute in baking. Bananas are rich in potassium which helps lower blood pressure and they also help your digestive system in check.

Remember when you are with mashed bananas as a sugar substitute reduce the moisture in your recipe with less milk or water. In this way your baked goods will come with the right texture and firmness.

Nuts for croutons in salads or muesli with yoghurt

Unsalted nuts pack flavor and crunch and give food a nice boost of protein. Instead of high-fat salty croutons in salads or super sweet cereal in yogurt replace a handful of nuts. Walnuts and almonds are our favorite heart healthy. Just do not go overboard a small handful is rich in calories.

Rolled oats for breadcrumbs

Craving fried chicken? Instead of using salt containing bread crumbs opt for oatmeal with a little spice. Oats are rich in fiber and healthy carbohydrates and like all whole grains they are packed with nutrients such as B vitamins, iron and fiber.

Soda Water for Tonic Water

Here is a healthy swap for when you are in town. If you drink cocktails then ask the bartender for soda instead of tonic. Tonic water is rich in sugar while soda contains none. Also you should consider getting less juice and more fruity drinks your soda water to cut your sugar content.

This is a swap you will probably find though since tonic is so much sweeter than soda.

Whole Wheat Flour for White Flour

The government My Plate dietary guidelines recommend that at least half of daily grain intake be from whole grains. This means you should buy whole wheat bread and whole grain cereals bread and pasta and make the swap in your jaws. If a recipe calls for flour use whole wheat flour instead of all purpose white flour Or at least go half wheat and half white. It is unlikely that you will notice a difference and you will get more nutrients in your kitchen.

Zucchini ribbons for pasta or spaghetti squash

Use a vegetable peeler or a mandolin too long make thin noodle like slices of zucchini or spaghetti squash. Skip the cooking and baking or simply fry the noodles for a few minutes. You can use the vegetables in side dishes or to replace high carb pasta in dishes like lasagna. It's an easy way to cut the calories in your favorite pasta meals and sneak more vegetables into your dinner.

To thicken happens for Cream Potato Soup

Fall is soup season and there are many ways to pack more nutrients into your favorite varieties. Instead of bulking up your soup with cream paste for example instead of mashed sweet potato. Not only will you be getting less fat but the potassium in sweet potatoes are lower blood pressure and reduce your risk of stroke. Talk about a win win.

Also if you are buying ready made soup from the store it's a good idea to check the sodium always choose low sodium varieties.