We Can! Reduce Fat and Added Sugar in Meals and Snacks
Try some of these tips for reducing your calorie intake with your family.
Substitutions:
- Cook with low-fat methods such as baking, broiling, boiling, or microwaving, rather than frying.
- Choose low-fat or fat-free dairy products, salad dressing, and mayonnaise.
- Serve fruit instead of cookies or ice cream for dessert.
- Add salsa on a baked potato instead of butter or sour cream.
- Eat fruits canned in their own juice rather than syrup.
Use these substitutes for when you cook or bake:
| Instead of: |
Substitute: |
| 1 cup cream |
1 cup evaporated fat-free milk |
1 cup butter, margarine or oil
|
½ cup apple butter or applesauce |
| 1 egg |
2 egg whites or ¼ cup egg substitute |
| Pastry dough |
Graham cracker crumb crust |
Butter, margarine, or vegetable oil for sautéing
|
Cooking Spray, chicken broth, or a small amount of olive oil |
| Bacon |
Lean Turkey Bacon |
| Ground Beef |
Extra lean ground beef or ground turkey breast |
| Sour Cream |
Fat-free sour cream |
| 1 cup chocolate chips |
¼ - ½ cup mini chocolate chips |
| 1 cup sugar |
¾ cup sugar (this works with most everything except yeast breads)
|
| 1 cup mayonnaise |
1 cup reduced-fat or fat free mayonnaise |
| 1 cup whole milk |
1 cup fat-free milk |
| 1 cup cream cheese |
½ cup ricotta cheese pureed with
½ cup fat-free cream cheese |
Oil and vinegar dressing with 3 parts oil to
1 part vinegar |
1 part olive oil + 1 part vinegar (preferably a flavored)
vinegar such as balsamic + 1 part orange juice |
| Unsweetened baking chocolate (1 ounce) |
3 tablespoon unsweetened coca powder plus
1 tablespoon vegetable oil or margarine |
Other ideas to reduce the fat or added sugar in meals:
- Remove skin from poultry and do not eat it.
- Cool soups and gravies and skim the fat off before reheating them.
- Cook chicken or by immersing it in simmering liquid.
- Using a microwave is a good alternative because it’s fast and doesn’t add fat or calories.
Ideas to choose healthier snacks:
- Toss sliced apples or berries on top of low-fat yogurt.
- Put a slice of low-fat or fat-free cheese on top of whole grain crackers.
- Make a whole wheat pita pocket with hummus, lettuce, tomato, and cucumber.
- Pop some low-fat popcorn.
- Sprinkle some dry whole-grain cereal on top of low-fat or fat-free yogurt.
- Microwave or toast a soft tortilla with low fat cheese and sliced peppers and mushrooms to make a mini burrito or quesadilla.
- Drink low-fat chocolate milk (blend it with a banana or strawberries and some ice for a smoothie.)
Try these healthy snack ideas! Be sure to watch portion size! Check the We Can! Web site at http://wecannhlbi.nih.gov for more healthy snack ideas!
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