BeFIT Resources

Healthy Ingredient Substitutions

Trying to cut back on calories and fat? Use this chart to find healthier options for your diet.

Instead of: Try:

Ground beef Ground turkey

Cream (for everything except whipping) Evaporated skim milk or low-fat buttermilk

Cream Cheese Light Cream Cheese, or Ricotta Cheese

Butter or margarine Light butter

1 egg 2 egg whites or egg substitute

Peanut butter Reduced-fat peanut butter

Whole milk Evaporated skim milk or skim or low-fat

Sour cream Plain yogurt or fat-free sour cream

Mayonnaise Reduced-fat mayonnaise or mustard

Sour cream, mayonnaise, and cheese dips Bean dips, pureed vegetable dips, salsa

Bacon or sausage Turkey bacon, turkey sausage,or lean ham

Beef chuck or brisket Beef round OR flank steak

Pork butt/shoulder Pork tenderloin

Cream-based soups Broth-based soups

Pepperoni pizza Veggie pizza, light on the cheese

Pasta with cream sauce Pasta with tomato sauce

Snacking on crackers or chips Snacking on raw vegetables and fruits

Chicken wings or nuggets Breaded and baked chicken breast strips

Bagels or muffins English muffins