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Healthful substitutions - Loma Linda University SAHP

Healthful substitutions

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Certainly you will have your own collection of favorite recipes, but maybe you wish you could make them a little more nutritious: lower in fat, calories and cholesterol. Here's some common substitutions you can make that will help retain your favorite flavors while increasing the recipe's nutritional profile!

Through experimentation will some of these ideas, you will be sure to create healthy versions of old favorites!

Modifying your favorite recipe

When your recipe calls for: Substitute:

Whole milk

Cream

Sour cream

Whole eggs

White rice

Plain pasta

Soy sauce

Vinegar

Mayonnaise

1% or fat free milk (skim)

Evaporated skim milk

Plain low-fat or nonfat yogurt

Egg whites or Egg Beaters

Brown rice

Whole wheat pasta

Liquid aminos

Lemon or lime juice

Nonfat plain yogurt



What's a serving size?

With a busy schedule, it can be difficult enough to remember to eat a mixed diet full of fruits and vegetables, grains, proteins and dairy foods, let alone trying to keep track of what a serving size actually equals. The USDA Food Guide Pyramid recommends 2-3 servings from the dairy group, 2-3 servings from the protein group, 3-5 servings from the vegetable group, 2-4 servings from the fruit group, and 6-11 servings from the bread and grain group.

Here's what some typical single servings* look like:

1 cup of chopped fresh leafy greens

1/2 cup chopped vegetables

1 cup of fruit

2 tablespoons of peanut butter

1 ounce of cheese

1 slice of cheese

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The size of 4 lettuce leaves

The size of three ice cubes

The size of a baseball

The size of a golf ball

The size of a tube of lipstick or four dice

The size of a 3.5 inch computer disk

* The American Dietetics Association developed this schema.

Your basic shopping list | A few shopping tips | Healthful substitutions | What's a serving size? | Recipes | More information on the vegetarian diet | Self quiz