Substitutes for Saturated Fats

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans tell us to limit saturated fat and replace it with either monounsaturated (MUFA) or polyunsaturated (PUFA) fats.  These guidelines tell us that if we eat less than 10% of calories from saturated fat and choose MUFA's & PUFA's we will have a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. 

It's the holiday season where baking and cooking is at full throttle. What ingredients do you use when you bake? Are they good for you? Do you know the details or do you care?  Looking at some of the favorite seasonal cookies: chocolate chip, sugar cookies, roll out butter cookies, etc. or other holiday dishes (casseroles, breakfast dishes, etc) they all contain some form of saturated fat. 

Here are some simple swaps to help you limit your saturated fat intake this holiday season.  If the recipe calls for...then use this instead...

Butter...soft spread (margarine)

Whole milk...skim, 1% or 2%

Whole evaporated milk...evaporated skim or reduced-fat milk

Regular mayonnaise...reduced-fat mayonnaise or low fat yogurt

Chocolate chips...dried cranberries

Whipping cream...imitation cream made wit fat-free milk

Sour cream...1% or fat-free sour cream or pain, low-fat yogurt

Cream cheese...light or fat-free cream cheese

Whole-milk cottage cheese...reduced-calorie, low-fat or fat-free cheese

Eggs...2 egg whites per egg or 1/4 cup egg substitute per egg

Bacon or breakfast sausage...lean Canadian bacon, turkey bacon or lean ham

Meat or poultry...seafood such as salmon, tuna, trout or tilapia

1 pound Ground beef...1/2 pound extra lean (90%) ground beef & 14 ounce can of lentils/beans

Here are more substitutions to guide you in your seasonal baking/cooking!

These simple swaps are sure to help you lower saturated fat intake during the holiday season without compromising taste.