Smart food substitutions
Take a look at this list to see which high-fat foods you might be able to swap for a lower-fat or fat-free alternative.
Dairy
if you like… | try… |
|---|---|
| Whole milk | Skimmed milk or 1% milk |
| Cheese | Fat-free or low-fat cheese, low-fat mozzarella cheese sticks, grated Parmesan cheese, fat-free cream cheese, fat-free cottage cheese, fat-free ricotta cheese |
| Sour cream | Fat-free sour cream, fat-free plain yogurt |
| Cream, half and half, non-dairy creamer | Fat-free half and half, fat-free non-dairy creamer |
| Ice cream | Sorbet, sherbet, fat-free ice cream and frozen yogurt, fruit ice, popsicles or ice lollies |
Meat, poultry & fish
if you like… | try… |
|---|---|
| Eggs | Egg substitutes and egg whites |
| Cold cuts like bologna, salami | Extra lean (at least 95% fat-free) turkey, chicken, ham |
| Bacon and sausage | Canadian ham, extra lean (at least 95% fat- free) ham, low-fat turkey bacon, bacon bits |
| Fatty cuts of beef like chuck, brisket and rib | Leaner cuts like round and loin trimmed of visible fat (portion size=deck of cards) |
| Pork | Pork tenderloin trimmed of visible fat |
| Ground or minced meats | Extra lean (at least 95% fat-free) meat |
| Dark meat poultry with skin | Skinless chicken or turkey breast |
| Fatty fish like salmon, sardines, trout, canned tuna in oil | Lean fish like tilapia, flounder, haddock, sole, halibut, all shellfish, canned tuna in water or fried fish |
| Fried chicken | Bread your own skinless chicken breast or fish and oven bake until crispy |
| Hot dogs | All-white meat turkey hot dogs or extra-lean (at least 95% fat-free) hot dogs |
Baked goods
if you like… | try… |
|---|---|
| Cake | Angel food cake |
| Cookies | Fat-free fig cookies, low-fat animal crackers, low-fat vanilla wafers, fat-free devil’s food cookie cakes, sweet flavored rice cakes |
| Muffins, donuts, biscuits, cornbread, croissants | English muffins, bagels, low-fat muffins, low-fat biscuit/cornbread mix |
Fats, oils, & salad dressing
if you like… | try… |
|---|---|
| Butter and margarine on bread | Fat-free butter spray, light margarine sparingly, jam, light cheese wedges |
| Oil for cooking | Nonstick cooking spray |
| Salad dressing | Fat-free salad dressing, vinegar, lemon, lime, light salad dressing used sparingly |
| Mayonnaise | Fat-free and low-fat mayonnaise, fat-free plain yogurt, mustard, light mayonnaise used sparingly |
| Peanut butter | Low-fat peanut butter |
| Oil or butter in baking | Apple sauce, date, prune puree, yogurt |
Snacks & sweets
if you like… | try… |
|---|---|
| French fries | Bake your own seasoned potato wedges, 98% fat-free French fries |
| Potato and corn chips | Pretzels, low-fat baked chips, savory flavored rice cakes |
| Party crackers | Fat-free saltines, low-fat crackers, rice crackers |
| Nuts | Popcorn (air popped or light microwave) |
| Peanut butter | Low-fat peanut butter spread |
| Chocolate | Fat-free chocolate syrup, chocolate fat-free ice cream or pudding, fat-free hot cocoa |
| Candy bars | Licorice/liquorice, spice drops, lollipops, marshmallows, gummy candies |
Others
if you like… | try… |
|---|---|
| Cream soups | Low-fat and broth based soups |
| Gravy | Fat-free and low-fat gravy |
| Cream sauce on pasta | Tomato sauce on pasta |
| Pizza | Pizza made with no cheese, less cheese or low-fat cheese |
| Ramen noodles | Noodles, spaghetti, soba noodles |
| Granola | Low-fat granola, other dry cereals |
| Avocado | Cucumber and tomato slices |
| Olives | Cherry tomatoes |