You can lower fat and calories in many of your favorite recipes just by following a few of these simple ingredient substitutions.

Traditional Ingredient	Healthy substitution
1 whole egg	2 egg whites or 1/4 cup egg substitute or 1 egg white and 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
2 eggs	3 egg whites
1 cup butter, lard or shortening	1 cup margarine or 2/3 to 3/4 cup vegetable oil or Molly McButter / Butter Buds for seasoning vegetables or baked potatoes
1 cup vegetable oil	1 cup applesauce
1 cup whole milk	1 cup skim milk
1 cup light cream	1 cup evaporated skim milk or 3 tablespoons vegetable oil and skim milk to equal 1 cup
1 cup heavy cream	1 cup evaporated skim milk or 2/3 cup skim milk and 1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sour cream	1 cup plain non fat yogurt or 1 cup 1% milk fat cottage cheese plus 2 teaspoons lemon juice, or fat free sour cream
1 ounce cheese	1 ounce skim milk cheese or part skim milk cheese, or fat free cheese
Cream cheese	"Light" cream cheese, or a fat free cream cheese
Creamed cottage cheese	1% milk fat cottage cheese
1 tablespoon salad dressing or mayonnaise	1 tablespoon reduced calorie mayonnaise or thin creamy dressing with non fat plain yogurt or fat free salad dressing or mayonnaise
Fat for sautéing, stir frying or broiling	Use 1/2 the amount of fat or water or vegetable spray at low heat
Pastry pie crust	Graham cracker crust
1 cup all purpose white flour	3/4 cup all purpose white flour plus 1/4 cup bran or 1/2 cup all purpose white flour plus 1/2 cup whole wheat flour (increases fiber)
1 oz. or square of unsweetened baking chocolate	3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa and 1 tablespoon of polyunsaturated oil (corn, soybean, safflower oils or margarine)
Sugar	A lower amount - about 1/4 to 1/3 less of what is needed.
Salad dressings	Yogurt mixed with mustard, lemon, herbs and spices or fat free salad dressings
Whipping cream	Chilled evaporated skimmed milk, whipped
White flour (1 cup)	½ cup whole wheat flour plus ½ cup white flour, or 2/3 cup white flour plus 1/3 cup oat bran
Bacon	Turkey bacon or Canadian bacon or lean ham
Luncheon meats	92% or more fat free luncheon meats, cooked chicken or turkey
Poultry	Skinned poultry
Regular ground beef	85-90% lean ground beef or ground turkey
Chicken with skin	Remove skin from chicken before cooking
Deep-fried meats, poultry & fish	Broil, bake, braise, poach or grill lean meats, poultry and fish
Sautéed vegetables	Steamed vegetables
Gravy	Low fat gravy: let meat broth stand in refrigerator overnight or put ice cubes in broth to collect fat that collects on top. Skim off fat. Use 1 Tbs. corn starch to thicken 1 cup.
White rice	Brown or wild rice (to increase fiber)
Ice cream	Sorbet, sherbet, soy ice cream, low fat frozen yogurt or skim milk frozen dessert