The average weight gain over the holidays is 7 pounds.  If you’re the one that’s doing all of the cooking, one of the best choices you can make to help yourself and others keep those 7 pounds at bay is substituting healthier and lower calorie ingredients for the classic ingredients you’ve come to know and love…but don’t love you.  Check out this Healthy Substitution Chart to help point you in the right direction…

Healthy Substitution Chart

 Butter: 1 cup butter =   1 cup canola oil

1 cup canned pumpkin

1 cup pureed avocado (brownies and cookies)

2/3 cup applesauce (brownies and cookies, muffins)

1 cup mashed bananas (brownies and cookies)

1/2 cup nonfat Greek yogurt pus 1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup butter plus 1/2 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt

Mayonnaise: 1 cup mayonnaise = 1 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt

Oil: 1 cup vegetable oil = 2/3 cup applesauce

1 cup mashed banana

1 cup canola oil/olive oil

Heavy Cream: 1 cup = 1 cup light cream

1 cup nonfat Greek yogurt

1 cup evaporated skim milk

Half and Half: 1 cup half-and-half = 1 cup evaporated skim milk

Egg: 1 whole large egg = 2 egg whites

Cream Cheese: 1 cup cream cheese = 1 cup nonfat Greek or regular yogurt

1 cup pureed low-fat cottage cheese

Granulated Sugar: 1 cup sugar = 1/2 cup agave nectar

1 cup unsweetened applesauce (cookies, muffins)

Milk: 1 cup whole milk = 1 cup nonfat milk soy milk or unsweetened almond milk or other milk substitute

Sour Cream: 1 cup sour cream = 1 cup nonfat Greek yogurt or plain nonfat yogurt

All Purpose Flour: 1 cup all purpose flour = 1/2 cup whole wheat flour plus 1 cup cake flour

1 cup nut flour plus 1/2 tsp. self rising agent

1 cup pureed black beans

Baking Chocolate: 1 ounce baking chocolate = 3 tbsp. cocoa powder plus 1  tbsp. butter or vegetable oil

Buttermilk: 1 cup buttermilk = 1 cup plain nonfat yogurt

2/3 cup plain Greek yogurt plus 1/3 cup milk

1 cup milk or soymilk with 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Ground Beef: 1/2 lb. ground beef = 1/2 lb. ground tempeh

1/2 lb. ground venison

1 pound sliced fresh mushrooms processed in a food processor