Try these suggestions for how to lower the fat and calories in meals and snacks.
Instead of: | Substitute: |
---|---|
1 cup cream | 1 cup evaporated fat-free milk |
1 cup butter, margarine, or oil | 1/2 cup apple butter or applesauce |
1 egg | 2 egg whites or 1/4 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 | 1/4 - 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips |
1 cup sugar | 3/4 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 | 1/2 cup ricotta cheese pureed with 1/2 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 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder plus 1 tablespoon vegetable oil or margarine |
It is helpful to know how to substitute the ingredients in favorite recipes to lower the amounts of fat, added sugar, and calories. Enjoy this recipe at home with your family. Ask your kids to help you prepare the food!
Ingredients: | Substitutions: |
---|---|
1 box lasagna noodles | |
1 pound ground beef | 1 pound extra lean ground beef (93 percent lean) or lean ground turkey |
1/2 cup chopped onion | |
8 ounces mushrooms, optional | |
1 jar (about 16 ounces) spaghetti sauce, your favorite | 1 jar spaghetti sauce, no added fat |
1 teaspoon garlic powder | |
1/2 teaspoon salt | |
1 teaspoon dried leaf oregano, crumbled | |
1/2 teaspoon dried leaf basil, crumbled | |
1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese | 1 1/2 cups part-skin ricotta cheese |
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese | 2 cups reduced-fat Monterey Jack cheese |
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese | 3/4 cup reduced-fat Parmesan cheese |
Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions; drain and set aside. In a large skillet, brown beef, onion, and mushrooms. Stir in spaghetti sauce, garlic powder, salt, oregano, and basil. In a 2-quart buttered baking dish (about 11x7x2 inches), layer 1/3 of the ricotta cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, and Parmesan cheeses. Repeat layers twice. Bake lasagna for 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated and bubbly. Let stand for 8 to 10 minutes before cutting and serving. Serves 6 to 8. | Notes: Don't forget to drain the fat from the meat after you brown it. Use cooking spray instead of butter to grease the dish. |
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