19 sneaky low-fat substitutions that your family will never notice
Here’s a secret: Food can be both tasty and healthy!
Try these cooking hacks. Replace ¼ cup of butter or oil in a recipe with fruit puree or applesauce to save over 400 calories and 48 grams of fat. Use 94% lean ground beef instead of 85% lean ground beef to save 80 calories and 8 grams of fat per 4 oz. burger.
With these low-fat substitutions, no one will miss the fat or calories the next time you prepare a family meal or bring a dish to a party. And they certainly won’t miss the extra inches on the waistline.
| High-Fat Foods | Lower-Fat Alternatives |
|---|---|
| American cheese, cheddar cheese | 2% or fat-free cheese slices |
| Bacon | Canadian bacon, turkey bacon, smoked turkey or lean prosciutto |
| Butter, shortening or oil in baked goods | Applesauce or prune puree for one half of the called-for butter, shortening or oil |
| Butter, margarine, shortening or oil to prevent sticking | Cooking spray or nonstick pans |
| Creamed soups | Fat-free milk-based soups, mashed potato flakes, pureed carrots, potatoes or tofu for thickening agents |
| Eggs | Two egg whites or 1/4 cup egg substitute for each whole egg |
| Evaporated whole milk | Evaporated skim milk |
| Full-fat cream cheese | Fat-free or light cream cheese (Neufchatel) or low-fat cottage cheese pureed until smooth |
| Full-fat sour cream | Fat-free or low-fat sour cream, plain fat-free or Greek yogurt |
| Ground beef | Extra-lean or lean ground beef, chicken or turkey breast (make sure no poultry skin has been added to product) |
| Margarine in baked goods | Applesauce or plain yogurt for one half of the margarine |
| Stick margarine | Trans-fat-free tub margarine or light margarine |
| Mayonnaise | Reduced-calorie mayonnaise-type salad dressing or reduced-calorie, reduced-fat mayonnaise |
| Meat as the main ingredient | Three times as many vegetables as the meat on pizzas or in casseroles, soups and stews |
| Ramen noodles | Rice noodles or spaghetti noodles |
| Oil-based marinades | Wine, balsamic vinegar, fruit juice or fat-free broth |
| Whole milk ricotta cheese | Part-skim or fat-free ricotta cheese |
| Salad dressing | Fat-free or reduced-calorie dressing or flavored vinegar |
| Whole milk | Skim milk or 1% milk |