15 Healthy and Inexpensive Food Substitutes

In the tradition of America's First Ladies selecting specific causes to promote, Obama announced Feb. 9 she would launch a major initiative next month to combat childhood obesity.

"Over the past three decades, childhood obesity rates in this country have tripled," said Obama in a press release. "Today, obesity and excess weight threaten the health of one out of three American children. It’s time for us to act."

Obama calls her campaign "Let's Move!" The goal of the nationwide effort is to solve the obesity epidemic within one generation. "Let's Move" will work to guarantee all American families have access to healthy, affordable food in their communities.

One low-cost way the campaign recommends to reduce obesity is substituting healthy foods for high-fat and high-sugar foods. This helps reduce overall calories of favorite foods without affecting taste. Your family will likely not notice the difference.

Here are 15 calorie-reducing substitutions and a lasagna recipe detailing healthy substitutions.

1. 1 cup cream -- substitute 1 cup evaporated fat-free milk

2. 1 cup butter, margarine, or oil - substitute 1/2 cup apple butter, applesauce or Dijon mustard

3. 1 egg  - substitute 2 egg whites or 1/4 cup egg substitute

4. Pastry dough - substitute Graham cracker crumb crust

5. Butter, margarine, or vegetable oil for sautéing  - substitute cooking spray, chicken broth or a small amount of olive oil

6. Bacon - substitute lean turkey bacon or, for bacon flavor, smoked salt, peppercorns or paprika

7. Ground beef - substitute extra-lean ground beef or ground turkey breast

8. Sour cream - substitute fat-free sour cream or yogurt

9. 1 cup chocolate chips - substitute 1/4 to 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

10. 1 cup sugar - substitute 3/4 cup sugar (except with yeast breads)

11. 1 cup mayonnaise - substitute 1 cup reduced-fat or fat-free mayonnaise

12. 1 cup whole milk - substitute 1 cup fat-free milk

13. 1 cup cream cheese - substitute 1/2 cup ricotta cheese pureed with 1/2 cup fat-free cream cheese

14. Oil and vinegar dressing with 3-parts oil to 1-part vinegar - substitute 1-part olive oil and 1-part vinegar (preferably a flavored vinegar, such as balsamic) and 1-part orange juice

15. Unsweetened baking chocolate (1 ounce) - substitute 3 tablespoons unsweetened coca powder and 1 tablespoon vegetable oil or margarine

16. White rice and pasta - substitute whole grains

To get you started, here's how to apply substitutions to a lasagna recipe. The original ingredients are followed by their healthier substitutions.

LASAGNA INGREDIENTS

1 box lasagna noodles - (none)
1 pound ground beef - 1 pound extra-lean ground beef (93-percent lean) or lean ground turkey
1/2 cup chopped onion - (none)
8 ounces mushrooms, optional - (none)
1 jar (about 16 ounces) spaghetti sauce - 1 jar spaghetti sauce, low fat or no sugar added
1 teaspoon garlic powder - (none)
1/2 teaspoon salt - (none)
1 teaspoon dried leaf oregano, crumbled - (none)
1/2 teaspoon dried leaf basil, crumbled - (none)
1-1/2 cups ricotta cheese - 1-1/2 cups part-skim ricotta cheese
2 cups shredded Monterrey Jack cheese - 2 cups reduced-fat Monterrey Jack cheese
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese - 3/4 cup reduced-fat Parmesan cheese

LASAGNA COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions; drain and set aside.

2. In a large skillet, brown meat, onion and mushrooms.

3. Stir in spaghetti sauce, garlic powder, salt, oregano and basil.

4. In a 2-quart buttered baking dish (about 11x7x2 inches), layer 1/3 of the ricotta cheese, Monterrey Jack cheese, and Parmesan cheeses.

5. Repeat layers twice.

6. Bake in 350-degree oven for 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated and bubbly.

7. Let stand for 8 to 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

Serves 6 to 8.

The National Institutes of Health offers more heart-healthy recipes.

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