When you are cooking, it is always important to be conscious of what you are creating to be consumed. As such there can be a lot of hidden calories in some foods that you may not even know about. This blog post will help provide healthier substitutes for everyday ingredients when cooking so that your meals stay delicious and nutritious.
EGG WHITES
The first substitution that we will discuss is using egg whites in place of whole eggs. Whole eggs are full of fats and cholesterol, especially the yolk part. Egg whites alone provide much more protein than a single whole egg would. They also do not add any extra fat to your food as oils or butter may.
Another great substitute for baking is to use applesauce in place of sugar in many recipes. Some people make their own homemade version by cooking dried fruit such as dates until they become soft and mushy; however, there are store-bought options available at most grocery stores which you can find near where peanut butter is located (because it typically goes with jelly).
OLIVE OIL
The next healthier substitutes for everyday ingredients is olive oil over butter. Olive oil contains a lot of healthy fats and has been shown in studies to improve cholesterol levels (increase HDL, the good kind) when consumed regularly. On the other hand, butter has high saturated fat content, which can increase LDL or bad cholesterol if over consumed.
Flavoured olive oils work great as a spread, too; you can use it like any regular butter by spreading it onto slices of bread or bagels with jelly instead of peanut butter. You could also try using this substitute when making pesto sauce: just replace olive oil with melted unsalted sweet cream butter and add your basil leaves later once everything else is properly blended together.
GREEK YOGHURT
The next substitution is Greek yoghurt for sour cream. Sour cream is often high in unhealthy saturated fats, but Greek yoghurt has less than half the amount of fat as regular sour cream. It also contains more protein and probiotics, which are great for gut health. You can use Greek yoghurt as a substitute anywhere that you would normally use sour cream, such as in dips, sauces or even on top of baked potatoes.
ALMOND FLOUR
The final substitution we will talk about is almond flour instead of regular wheat flour. Almond flour contains fewer carbs and more protein than traditional white flour does. It also has a higher fat content, giving baked goods a richer flavour and texture. You can find almond flour in the baking aisle near where you would normally find other flours or online. Some people like to make their own by processing almonds in a food processor until they reach a fine powder-like consistency; however this takes some time and effort, so store-bought versions are often easier to work with.
And there you have it. Four easy substitutions that will help make your meals healthier without sacrificing any of the deliciousness. Try these substitutes in your next recipe and see how you like them.
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This has been a collaborative post. All thoughts and opinions expressed above are not my own
