Healthy Recipe Substitutions for Heart Month

It’s the last day of Heart Month, and we thought you could use these healthy recipe substitutions to help keep your heart in shape. Let us know if you try a recipe that uses one of these substitutions! We’d love to add a tasty new meal to our repertoire. If you’d like a printable version of this information, click here. 

White rice: Brown rice or brown basmati rice

White all-purpose flour: Whole wheat flour (during baking, substitute wheat flour for half of the flour in the recipe)

White bread: Whole wheat bread

Pasta enriched, white: Whole wheat pasta or spaghetti squash

Breadcrumbs: Rolled oats

Tortilla wraps: Green or butter lettuce leaves

Couscous: Quinoa

1 Whole egg: 2 Egg whites or ¼ cup egg substitute

Egg: Flax Meal (mix 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds (aka flax meal) with 3 tablespoons warm water, and whisk with a fork to combine. Now, let it sit in the fridge for 5-10 minutes before subbing for 1 egg in any baked recipe.)

Dark meat poultry: White meat skinless poultry

Ground beef: Ground chicken or turkey breast

Canned beans: Dried beans (need to soak in water overnight)

Mayonnaise: Greek yogurt

Sour cream: Low-fat cottage cheese or Greek yogurt

Cream cheese: Fat-free or low-fat cream cheese or low-fat cottage cheese (pureed)

Cream: Fat-free half-and-half or evaporated skim milk

Whole or 2% milk: Skim milk, or unsweetened almond or soy milk

Flavored yogurt: Plain yogurt with fresh fruit

Ice cream: Frozen yogurt

Cheese: Nutritional yeast

Milk chocolate: Dark chocolate

Canned fruit: Frozen or fresh fruit

Syrup: Pureed fruit

Juice or bottled teas: Unsweetened iced tea

Soda: Seltzer water with citrus fruit wedge

Mashed potatoes: Mashed cauliflower

Potato chips: Kale chips or popcorn

Iceberg lettuce: Arugula, spinach, kale or chard

French fries: Baked sweet potato fries

Butter: Olive, avocado or canola oil

Butter or oil: 1 cup mashed banana for 1 cup butter or oil, or applesauce or prune puree in place of half the butter or oil

Oil-based marinades: Wine, balsamic vinegar, fruit juice or fat-free broth

Regular soy sauce: Low-sodium soy sauce, sweet-and-sour sauce, hot mustard

Salt: Herbs, garlic powder, citrus juices, rice vinegar, salt-free seasonings

Sugar: Unsweetened applesauce in a 1:1 ratio, but for every cup of applesauce, reduce the liquid in the recipe by ¼ cup­