Raise nutrients in your meals with simple ingredient swaps
Swapping out less healthy ingredients with those that pack a more nutritious punch can make a big difference in your diet and your health — without skimping on flavor.
Butter, shortening and tropical oils (coconut, palm oil and palm kernel oil) are high in saturated fat, which has been linked with heart disease. Substitute with healthier oils like olive, peanut, canola or any non-tropical oil. When cooking, replace all or some of these fats with healthier oils using a 1:1 ratio. In baking, substitute at a ratio of 1:¾. Fruit and vegetable purees, such as avocado, pumpkin, applesauce, prune, fig, banana or date, may be substituted for half or more of the fat.
1. Butter and oils.
2. Sugar. Consuming too much added sugar is linked to an increased risk of chronic disease, including heart disease. Start by cutting the sugar called for in a recipe by 25% and then look to the most natural substitution — fruit! Not only do pureed or mashed bananas, dates, figs or applesauce provide sweetness, they pack nutrients like fiber, vitamins and minerals with far fewer calories than sugar.
Honey, maple syrup and agave syrup or nectar are a sweeter swap, as they provide a more similar sweetness to sugar. Substitute one cup of sugar in recipes with cup of these liquid sweeteners and reduce the liquid in the recipe by cup. Adding a teaspoon of “sweet” spice, like vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg or cardamom, to recipes makes them seem sweeter, too.
3. Salt. Going heavy on
the salt shaker can lead to high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke. Try seasoning your food with bold flavors so you won’t need salt. Replace salt with spices like fresh or dried herbs. Cinnamon and cumin bring more robust flavors, while basil and thyme are more subtle.
Avoid the hidden salt in store-bought spice blends by mixing your own. For Italian seasoning, combine basil, oregano, rosemary, parsley, thyme, red chile flakes and garlic powder. Other flavor boosters include fresh or powdered onion, garlic and chile peppers, as well as mustards, vinegars, and lemon and other citrus zest and juice.
4. Refined grains. White flour, white rice and white pasta are made with refined grains, which are grains that have been stripped of their nutrient-rich bran and germ. Refined grains have just a quarter of their original protein and half to two-thirds or more of their nutrients.
Replacing some or all of the refined grain with whole grains in your recipes or choosing products made with whole grains delivers all of the fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals nature intended, along with several health
benefits, including lower risk of diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure. Instead of white rice, choose whole-grain brown rice or wild rice or riced cauliflower. For pasta, swap in those made with whole grains, legumes or vegetable noodles made from zucchini or spaghetti squash.
Replace refined white flour with whole-grain flours like whole wheat, oat, millet or quinoa, or nut flours like almond, hazelnut or flaxseed, or cooked black beans. Conversions from white flour to whole grain or nut flours when baking are not always 1:1, so it may take some experimentation to achieve desired results.
5. Red meat. High intake of red and processed meats is associated with a higher risk of heart disease, cancer, diabetes and premature death. Replace fatty red meats and processed meats with leaner cuts, or substitute poultry, like chicken or turkey, or fish or other seafood. Whole food plantbased stand-ins for meat include mushrooms, tofu, tempeh or legume-based veggie burgers. There are also many packaged plantbased meatless products, but they can be highly processed, so be sure to read the label.