15 Recipe Substitutions For Healthier Holiday Meals

The holiday season brings cheer, family, and a lot of cooking. Holiday breakfast, lunch, dinner, desserts, and snacks are all popular but are often made with added calories or foods that offer little nutritional value. Here are some great substitutions to help make your holiday meals a little healthier by reducing calories, fat or sugar and using more nutrient-dense foods.

1. Use whole wheat flour instead of white flour, or a mixture of both. Whole wheat flour has more fiber, keeping you feeling full longer.
2. Using vanilla or other flavored extracts for your sweet treats can allow you to cut back on the amount of sugar you would normally use.
3. For a dose of healthy fat try pureed avocado instead of butter. This works best in savory dishes.
4. When baking, swap your butter or oil for unsweetened applesauce to reduce fat and add fiber.
5. If your recipe calls for beans, go for dried instead of canned to save up to 200 mg of sodium per serving.
6. Use sweet potatoes instead of white, or both, when making au gratin potatoes. Sweet potatoes contain more vitamin A and calcium.
7. Use herbs or lemon juice instead of salt to add flavor to your recipes.
8. Instead of sour cream, try low fat or non-fat Greek yogurt. This reduces the fat content, but also adds a serving of lean protein.
9. Serving your pie a la mode? Use frozen yogurt instead of ice cream for a lower fat treat.
10. Make mashed cauliflower instead of mashed potatoes. You can cook and season them the same.
11. If you’re serving dips, offer a variety of vegetables instead of bread or crackers.
12. Puree fruit to use as filling or syrup for your baked goods. This can help you eliminate added sugar from your recipe.
13. Make your own low sodium breadcrumbs by crushing a fiber-rich cereal and mixing it with herbs.
14. If you’re making cocktails, save up to 100 calories by using seltzer water instead of juices. You can also squeeze fresh lemon, lime or oranges into your drink for added flavor.
15. Of course, steaming foods instead of boiling them retains more nutrients, while baking instead of frying prevents adding fat.