Avoid the ‘Quarantine 15’!

By Patti Miller, RDN

Are you worried about the  ‘Quarantine 15’? Have you noticed it is more difficult to stay away from your favorite snacks? If you find your weight creeping up or weight loss coming to a standstill, making a few substitutions in a favorite recipe can really improve the nutritional content of the dish!  Below are just a few healthy food swap suggestions, try one out tonight!

Plain Greek Yogurt for Sour Cream

Lighten up those taco toppings by opting for plain Greek yogurt instead

of sour cream. You’ll never taste the difference, plus Greek yogurt offers an extra dose of lean protein.

Avocado Mash or Hummus for Mayo

Half a mashed avocado is a great substitute for mayo on any sandwich. Both give some moisture, but avocado is avocado and it makes everything in life better. Oh, and it’s full of healthy fats. Hummus also makes for a tasty & healthy alternative to mayo.

Ground Turkey for Ground Beef

Ground turkey (or chicken)  is a great substitute for ground beef to cut down on saturated fat. Reminder: Because of the lower fat content, ground poultry often ends up drier than beef, but a few tablespoons of chicken stock can solve the problem in a snap.

Homemade Salad Dressing for Bottled Dressing

By making dressing from scratch at home, it’s easy to cut out the added sugar, sodium, and preservatives typically found in premade dressings. Try mixing vinegar or lemon juice and oil in a 2:1 ratio and flavoring with spices such as rosemary, thyme, oregano, and pepper

Garlic Powder for Salt

Just like fresh herbs, garlic powder can provide a flavorful punch without adding sodium. Don’t mistake garlic powder for garlic salt.

Zucchini Noodles

Swap out zucchini noodles for traditional pasta  using a spiralizer, julienne peeler, and mandoline kitchen device. Sauté in a little olive oil on the stove and add your favorite toppings or sauce.

Cauliflower Rice

Cauliflower has become a popular substitute for traditional rice. You can purchase it precut or dice it yourself in a food processor.

White/Cannellini Beans

Substitute 1 cup puréed bean mixture for 1 cup cream in soups & sauces.

Unsweetened Applesauce for Sugar

Using applesauce in place of sugar can give the necessary sweetness without all that, well, sugar. Pro tip: You can sub sugar for applesauce in a 1:1 ratio, but for every cup of applesauce you use, reduce the amount of liquid in the recipe by 1/4 cup.

Most of the foods listed below can function as butter in recipes at a 1:1 ratio. In general, the following foods work best as a replacement in cakes, muffins, cookies, brownies, and quick bread:

Applesauce

Applesauce significantly reduces the calorie and fat content of baked goods. Yet, it does add sweetness, so you may want to reduce the amount of sugar in recipes.

Avocados

Avocados add nutrients and healthy fats to your recipes. Use dark ingredients like chocolate to cover up the green tint that may result from using avocados.

Mashed bananas

Using mashed bananas provide extra nutrients and decreases the calorie and fat content. Add banana to batters slowly, until the desired consistency is reached.

Greek yogurt

If dairy is not an issue, using Greek yogurt adds protein to your recipes and replaces sweetness with a tangy flavor. Full-fat yogurt is best for keeping baked goods creamy and tender.

Nut butters

Nut butter infuses baked goods with a nutty taste and tend to make them denser and heavier. Still, keep in mind that they’re high in fat and calories.

Pumpkin purée

This is a nutrient-rich butter replacement. Use 3/4 the amount of pumpkin purée when substituting for butter.