Reducing Calories - Quick Substitutions

Instead Of.................Choose…

Dairy Aisle
2 eggs.................2 egg whites or ½ cup (C) egg substitute
Butter or margarine.................Low-fat margarine (may need to add more flour when baking)
Regular cheddar cheese, whole-fat mozzarella cheese, cream cheese.................2% cheddar cheese, part skim mozzarella cheese, Neufchâtel cheese
Mayonnaise or sour cream.................Low-fat plain yogurt or low-fat versions
Whipped cream.................Chilled and whipped evaporated milk
Ricotta cheese.................Firm tofu
Whole milk.................Buttermilk

Meat, Poultry, and Fish
Oil-packed tuna.................Water-packed tuna
Salami, pastrami, bologna.................Lean roast beef or turkey
Beef pot pie.................Canned stew (or homemade low-sodium stew is even better!) with a crust made from reduced-fat biscuit mix
Fish sticks .................Bread your own fish with whole-wheat bread crumbs, light margarine, and lemon juice
Regular bacon.................Canadian bacon
Regular ground beef.................Extra lean ground beef or lean ground turkey
Pork sausage.................Turkey sausage
Porterhouse steak or chuck.................Beef tenderloin or top round
Pork loin.................Pork tenderloin

Ordering Out
Cream-based soup.................Broth-based soup
Onion rings.................French fries
Egg rolls.................Steamed pork dumplings
Sour cream or cheese on nachos or baked potatoes.................Salsa
White sauce.................Red sauce
Pasta sauce containing sausage or cheese, or cream-based sauces.................Marinara sauce

Snacks and Desserts
Chocolate-chip cookie.................Vanilla wafers, gingersnaps, fig bars, or animal crackers
Fruit juice.................Fresh fruit
Ice cream.................Frozen yogurt, low-fat ice cream, sorbet, sherbet, or gelato
Ice cream bar.................Frozen fudge pop
Pound cake with strawberries.................Angel food cake with strawberries
Prepared potato-chip dip.................Fat-free sour cream and powdered ranch dressing mix
Prepared chocolate-cream pie.................Chocolate pudding made with skim milk in a graham- cracker crust, topped with low-fat whipped cream
Shortening in pie crust recipes.................½ nonfat cream cheese and ½ margarine
Store-bought cinnamon chips.................Flour tortillas coated with nonstick cooking spray and sprinkled with sugar substitute and cinnamon

Beverages
Coffee creamer.................Fat-free half-and-half
Club soda.................Seltzer
Hot chocolate mix.................Cocoa powder and artificial sweetener
Margaritas, pinã coladas, or daiquiris.................Gin and tonic, or wine

Condiments
Gravy.................Fat-free broth, thickened with cornstarch
Regular maple syrup.................Light maple syrup
Hot-fudge ice-cream topping.................Chocolate syrup

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