8 Healthy Recipe Substitutes

Using 1/3 cup of ripe, mashed banana for each egg you would use in a recipe is a great way to cut back on cholesterol. For each egg replaced, this change cuts four grams of fat. Use this substitution in dense baked goods, like muffins or cakes. Avoid those recipes with a lot of berries or citrus, however, since the flavors clash a bit.

By replacing oil with applesauce, your recipe will become significantly healthier, having less fat and more flavor. This substitution will seriously cut calories and works great for muffins and cupcakes. The flavor is a bit different, so the first time you do it, go small-scale and make sure you like it first.

This swap is ideal for those trying to go gluten-free. Rinse, drain, and puree a can of black beans and substitute it for a cup of flour. This alone will cut calories and add protein to any baking recipe. Try it with chocolate cake or chocolate cupcakes if you don’t want this substitution to change the color of the final product.

These little treats are the perfect substitute for raisins or dried figs when baking. But pureed dates can also be used as a sugar substitute after some processing. Puree one cup of pitted dates with one cup of hot water until you have a thick paste. That paste can then be put into baked goods as a much healthier sugar substitute.

Buttermilk is quite unhealthy, with 150 calories and 8 grams of fat per serving. If a recipe calls for it, you can instead use a mixture of milk (one cup) and lemon juice (one tablespoon). Mix the two, let the mix stand for five minutes in a bowl and then it should be ready to use. Any recipe will do, but this substitute works really well for chicken-based dishes.

The calories in breading might seem insignificant, but they can add up. To combat/eliminate this issue (and add some fiber to the recipe), try using rolled oats as breading instead. 

Starting with a teaspoon of cinnamon and then adding according to taste is a great way to make any baked good a few degrees healthier. Many types of low fat cakes and muffins are made possible by this substitute. The end result will be slightly less sweet, but much healthier than the original dish. 

Believe it or not, Greek yogurt serves as a great substitute for mayonnaise in recipes like pastas or potato salad. With a little watering down, Greek yogurt can also be made to match the consistency of buttermilk and heavy cream and can then be used as a substitute for those.