It’s the kitchen, silly! You know…that place we hardly seem to frequent. That place where we store our take-out containers. Oh brother!  I used to spend a lot of time in the kitchen; but it was usually a Friday night and I was usually baking chocolate chip cookies for “everyone” while watching TGIF nights on TV (remember those?!). Good times!  Anyway, these days I do spend time in the kitchen but it’s, sadly, not to bake myself cookies! I really enjoy trying out new recipes and learning how to make the proper substitutions so that everything I cook is healthy and delicious.

My favorite recipe site is AllRecipes.com.  While it is not specifically geared for the health-conscious eater, you can still find recipes of what you want to make and just substitute full-fat ingredients with their non-fat or low-fat alternatives. Note – AllRecipes.com does have a “Healthy Cooking” tab, but I have found that some of the recipes listed are falsely labeled.  Any recipe that calls for butter should NOT be in the “healthy” section, so still be cautious when browsing those.

If you really want to get keen on healthy eating and substituting for healthier ingredients, there’s a slew of things you can do!

Extensive List of Substitutions
(Some of these taken from Ohio State source here and University of Missouri source here)

• Use whole wheat options over refined options when it comes to bread or tortillas (note “multigrain” is NOT the same as whole grain or whole wheat)
• When it comes to flour for baking, substitute whole wheat flour for up to ½ of the flour. For example, if a recipe calls for 2 cups flour, try 1 cup all purpose flour and 1 cup minus 1 tablespoon whole wheat flour. Use “white whole-wheat flour” or “whole wheat pastry flour” for total amount of all-purpose flour
• Use olive or canola oil instead of other oils
• Use Pam cooking spray instead of butter when simply “greasing” pans or baking dishes
• Use egg whites (usually 2 egg whites for every egg) or ¼ cup egg substitute in place of full egg
• Use nonfat milk in place of whole milk or cream
• When baking: Fat acts as a barrier, making flour less likely to absorb water, thus giving a moist tender baked product. Ingredients commonly used to replace fat partially combine with flour. A structure forms, but it’s not the same. The following are the best options:

1. Applesauce – substitute for equal amounts of fat – product will be very moist, may need to reduce liquid in recipe (may also need to reduce baking time by 25%
2. Mashed bananas — substitute for equal amounts of fat – gives distinct flavor
3. Pureed prunes — substitute for equal amounts of fat – product will be very dry, so add moisture in form of prune juice, milk or water – gives a dark color
4. Pureed pumpkin — substitute for equal amounts of fat, gives distinct flavor and color
5. Grated zucchini — substitute for equal amounts of fat – works best in quick breads
6. Low-fat cottage cheese — substitute for only 1/2 of fat – gives rubbery texture
7. Pureed tofu — substitute for only 1/2 of fat – gives “beany” flavor (works well with some dessert recipes)
8. Non-fat yogurt — substitute for equal amounts of fat — product will be very moist, may need to reduce liquid in recipe

Also check out general tips on how to lighten up your food, from All Recipes, here.  I think it’s basic, but good to reinforce.

And if you have to dine out – remember to check Calorie King first for nutritional info.  You can also check Healthy Dining Finder to find restaurants with healthy options.

If you really need an incentive to get in the kitchen, get a really cute apron.  Hey, whatever works, right?

Tags: allrecipes.com, baking, Calorie King, calories, cooking, dining out, fat, healthy alternatives, Healthy Dining Finder, healthy food, healthy ingredients, healthy living, kitchen, nutritional information, Recipes, substitution