Baking with Butter

Shortening

Use liquid oils like canola oil. Substitute 3 parts oil for every 4 parts solid fat. Or better yet, try replacing 1/2 the fat with mashed fruit like banana, apple sauce, puréed prunes or pumpkin.

NOTE: Reducing fat may give baked goods a denser texture. Try beating the egg whites and folding them into the batter or using a softer flour like cake flour.

Eggs

Substitute two egg whites or 1/4 cup egg substitute for each whole egg.

Cream in Soup

Replace with fat-free milk and thicken with mashed potatoes or corn starch.

NOTE: When using milk in soup, thicken before adding acids like wine, lemon juice or vinegar. This will prevent the milk from breaking and keep the soup smooth.

Evaporated Milk

Regular Cream Cheese

Substitute fat-free or low-fat cream cheese or if in a recipe, use low-fat cottage cheese puréed until smooth.

Mayonnaise

Replace 1/2 the mayonnaise in a recipe with low-fat plain yogurt or low-fat sour cream.

Oil-based Marinades

Use low-fat ingredients like wine, balsamic vinegar, fruit juice or fat-free broth.

NOTE: If marinating meats, vinegar and fruit juice will cook the proteins When using these marinades cut the marinating time by half.

Salad Dressing

Try fat-free or reduced-calorie dressing. If making your own dressing, reduce the amount of oil and add orange juice, buttermilk or reduced-fat plain yogurt instead.

NOTE: When reducing the fat, use a mild vinegar like balsamic, raspberry, rice wine or sherry.