Healthier on a Budget: Be Willing to Substitute Ingredients

Some food substitutions will make meals healthier, like applesauce instead of oil in baked goods. Other substitions are made to save money, like apple instead of peach pie in the fall. Using in-season produce in recipes will be more cost effective. Fresh, frozen, and canned fruits and vegetables are often interchangeable in recipes. Just keep in mind that cooking times will need to be extended when using fresh produce.

Below are a few other possible substitutions. The item being subsituted is not necessarily healthier than the possible replacement. It depends more on your current health conditions and personal preferences. Use whatever works for you based on the diet you and your doctor have discussed and what you have on hand. The goal is to eat healthier without having to spend a trunkload on food. Also, some ingredients can simply be omitted or greatly reduced in recipes. If you don't like a certain spice, try making the dish without it. As for reducing, many muffins and desserts really don't need as much sweetener as what the recipe calls for.

See these recipe tips and these tips for many more substitutions.

Ground beef - Ground turkey, ground chicken
Basil - Oregano or thyme
Cardamom - Ginger or ground cinnamon
Arrowroot (1 tbsp) - 2 tbsp flour OR 1 tbsp cornstarch
Vinegar - lemon juice
Buttermilk (1 cup) - 1 cup milk with 1 tbsp white vinegar or lemon juice
Egg (in cakes) - 1 banana OR 1 tbsp ground flaxseed with 3 tbsp water
Egg - 2 tbsp cornstarch or potato starch