Do you have a family favorite recipe that you just don’t make anymore?

Here are some substitutions for recipe makeovers that can help lighten up your existing recipes and keep them as family standby’s without breaking the bank on your Points Plus account!  Some of these are just common sense, just reduce the amount of something that is in the recipe to cut the values!  Sometimes though having a list helps!

1 C whole milk – try the following:

1 C fat free milk or:

1 C buttermilk (for baking) or:

1 C 1% milk or:

1 C 2% milk

Sweetened Condensed milk – Fat Free sweetened condensed milk

Evaporated Milk – Fat Free evaporated milk

1 C Heavy cream – try the following:

1 C 1% milk + 1 T cornstarch or:

1 C Fat Free evaporated milk

Sour Cream – try the following:

Fat Free plain yogurt or:

Fat Free or light sour cream

4 oz Blue Cheese  - 2 oz blue cheese + 2 oz Fat Free Cream Cheese

4 oz Feta Cheese – 2 oz Feta cheese + 2 oz Fat Free Cream Cheese

4 oz Goat Cheese – 2 oz Goat cheese + 2 oz Fat Free Cream Cheese

8 oz Cream Cheese – try the following:

8 oz Fat Free Ricotta cheese or:

8 oz Fat Free Cream Cheese or:

4 oz Fat Free Cream Cheese + 4 oz Light Cream Cheese or:

8 oz Light Cream Cheese – block or tub style

8 oz Mascarpone Cheese – 4 oz Mascarpone + 4 oz Fat Free Cream Cheese

½ C Oil – try the following:

½ C Fat Free Chicken Broth (for salad dressings and marinades) or:

¼ C unsweetened applesauce + ¼ C Buttermilk (for baking) or:

½ C unsweetened applesauce (for baking) or:

1/3 C Vinegar + ¼ C Fat Free chicken broth + ¼ C pineapple juice + 2 T strong flavored oil (for salad dressings and marinades)

½ C Margarine or Butter (1 stick) – try the following:

½ C unsweetened applesauce (for baking) or:

¼ C unsweetened applesauce + ¼ C buttermilk (for baking) or:

½ C marshmallow crème (for frostings and fillings) or:

½ C light butter

2 T oil – try the following:

2 T Fat Free broth (for sautéing)

2 T Wine (for sautéing)

1 C nuts – reduce to ½ C toasted style for more flavor

6 oz Pork Sirloin, cooked  – 6 oz pork tenderloin, roasted

6 oz Flank Steak, cooked – 6 oz Round Steak, roasted

6 oz chicken thigh, no skin – 6 oz chicken breast, no skin, roasted

6 oz dark turkey meat, no skin, cooked – 6 oz turkey breast, roasted

1 Whole egg – 2 egg whites

Tuna in oil – Tuna in water

1 C Chocolate Chips – try the following:

½ C Mini Chocolate Chips or:

½ C Chocolate Chips or:

2/3 C Chocolate Chips or:

¾ C Chocolate Chips

1 C Flaked Coconut – try the following:

1 t Coconut Extract or:

½ C flaked coconut

1 C sliced olives – ½ C sliced olives

1 oz baking chocolate – 3 T unsweetened cocoa powder

Single Pie Crust – 3 Sheets phyllo dough (6 half sheets)

1 C sugar – ¾ C sugar

Basic White Sauce – make it this way instead:

 1 C 1% Milk and 1 T cornstarch