Contributed by Angela Cleveland

Last week, we talked about making healthy choices when choosing a weight loss/management plan. Fad diets are rightly named because they are rarely incorporated into the regular day-to-day lives of the people that use them. How do we incorporate a calorie-wise menu into our own schedule? The first step is to be aware of the foods that add extra calories without extra nutrition. The second step is to be able to substitute for these culprits.

Here are some hints that will help when trying to substitute fatty/less-nutritious ingredients out of your recipes (adapted from “Fabulous Foods” at www.fabulousfoods.com):

Instead of…

1 C Butter in baking…use 1 C Applesauce

1 Egg…use 2 Egg whites*

1 C Sour cream…use 1 C low fat Cottage cheese + 2 Tbs Skim milk + 1 Tbs Lemon juice

8 oz of Cream cheese…use 8 oz of Yogurt cheese

1 C Heavy cream (in recipes, not for whipping)…use 1 Tbs Flour whisked into 1 C Nonfat milk

1 C Oil or fat for basting…use 1 C Fruit juice or low fat stock

*Note: Egg yolks provide fat and lecithin (a natural emulsifier), which contribute to the fine texture of baked goods. Egg whites contain proteins that give structure to the final product. The little bit of lecithin in just one yolk can make a big difference. If your recipe calls for more than two eggs, try using 1 full egg and two egg whites. Too many egg whites will make a baked good dry and rubbery. You can also try the egg substitutes (available in low fat) that can be found at most Health Food and Grocery stores.

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