I’m from the South, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that I love fried chicken, fried catfish, fried okra, and…see the pattern here? Oh, and pass a biscuit, and I’ll take a slab of butter. Eek! Add a piece of pecan pie for dessert, and you have a heart attack waiting to happen. I knew something had to change if I expected to watch my grandchildren grow up.
Being a foodie, I’m not one who will sacrifice flavor, so I’ve learned to substitute ingredients in recipes. I’ve learned that plain yogurt tastes (almost) exactly like sour cream on potatoes or in recipes. Smoothies made with nothing but fresh or frozen fruit and sweetened with…nothing else are delicious. You can even substitute unsweetened applesauce for the egg and oil in cake recipes. When I feel an urge to eat a Reece’s Cup, I smear a little natural peanut butter on a couple squares of dark chocolate, and I have the flavor without the guilt.
- Here are some more substitutions—some I’ve tried and some I haven’t yet:
- Meringue for frosting
- Pureed avocado for anything creamy
- Spaghetti squash for pasta
- Steamed and pureed cauliflower for mashed potatoes
- Quinoa for any starchy side dish
- Black beans for flour
- Mashed banana for fat
- Ground turkey for ground beef
- Coconut milk for cream
- Almond milk for cow’s milk
Photo courtesy of Jeltovski on Morguefile.com
