How to Adapt a Recipe to Make it Healthier
Whether I’m building my family’s weekly meal plan, planning a dinner with friends, or choosing a dish to bring to a gathering, I like to make the recipes as healthy as possible by using ingredients I know are safer for our bodies.
Below are simple tips to get you started. Use options to adapt current or new recipes, creating healthier and more nutrient dense options.
These days it’s fairly easy to find viable replacements, although sometimes it takes a little experimenting to find the right fit. Try the swaps below to give yourself flexibility in the kitchen while staying within your dietary parameters.
Tips When Starting Adaptations
Have your family or friends food preferences and needs clear in your head before you start.
Pick a favourite recipe.
Review each ingredient.
Based on what you know about different nutrient-rich foods, identify the ingredients that are deficient in nutrients.
Think about how you might switch these ingredients for something better. What would those ingredients be?
Switch one ingredient at a time so you can keep track of how the recipe changes based on that particular substitution.
If there are more ingredients you would like to change, you can save them for the next round.
This will be a great way to learn what works and what doesn’t.
Below are tips for substituting common ingredients:
Prepared ingredients
For many common ingredients, ranging from ketchup to mustard to tamari sauce, the best option to strive for is organic. When plants are grown organically, they aren’t treated with pesticides and other chemicals. They will also have higher levels of phytonutrients. Browse your local health food store, or the natural section of your favourite grocery store, and look for the organic version of your favourites. Many of them, like organic ketchup, are richer tasting.
Dairy
I have been trying dairy-free alternatives for decades, long before entire grocery store walls were dedicated to giving consumer options. About 80% of us have issues with dairy so when searching for recipes, I opt out of heavy dairy recipes, or choose one of the alternatives below.
If you have done an elimination diet, and have found no issues with dairy, and if you are not having any other health issues, then you may not need to substitute cow’s milk products. They have nutritional benefits that your body can use.
An alternative to dairy is coconut milk. It performs much like dairy and is tasty. Full-fat coconut milk, or cooked down nut milk, can be used for replacing cream in recipes. Light coconut milk, coconut beverage, or almond and other nut milks can be used for recipes that call for milk.
Light coconut milk in the can is a bit thicker than cow’s milk, and coconut beverages are thinner, so adjust the recipe accordingly; add water to the light coconut milk to thin it a bit, use less of the coconut beverage in the recipe to account for its thinner consistency.
When looking at dairy alternatives, check the labels for added ingredients. Stay away from ones with added sugars, choose the product with the least amount of fillers, and purchase carrageenan-free brands.
White sugar
Sugar provides sweetness, moisture, binding power, and texture in a recipe. When choosing a sugar to use in your recipes, choosing one that is less refined will improve the nutrient density of your recipe, and keep you away from harmful products that may affect your digestion, allergies, and antibiotic resistance.
Conventional, refined sugar comes from the sugar cane plant or the sugar beet root. Unfortunately both have been stripped of their nutrients in the refining process. High-fructose corn syrup has been shown to be harmful to our health, partially because it can be as high as 90% fructose (your liver metabolizes fructose, and will convert it to fat if your liver is overloaded with processing toxins, hormones, or drugs).
Try maple syrup, unpasteurized raw honey (even if you bake with it), dates, coconut sugar (also known as coconut palm sugar), or evaporated cane juice.
Maple syrup and coconut sugar are the next easiest to use as substitutes and you would notice little difference in the results and taste. They have more nutrients and phytonutrients than evaporated cane juice, and of course no chemicals are used to produce them. Maple syrup is better used with any recipe calling for a liquid sweetener. When replacing white sugar, use ¾ honey to 1 cup sugar.
Raw honey is one of the healthiest sweeteners. It can work well in muffins, cakes, and puddings. However, it can turn crunchy or chewy recipes into cakey ones. It’s a natural humectant, meaning it draws moisture to whatever it’s added to. When replacing white sugar, use ¾ honey to 1 cup sugar, reduce other liquids in the recipe by one-third, increase baking temperature by 25 degrees and add a few more minutes to the timer.
Use fresh dried, or softened dates to create a paste that can be used to sweeten and thicken recipes for baking. Plan to scale back the liquid in the recipe as fruit increases moisture and will thin the batter. Avoid dates if anyone is intolerant to fructose or if they are trying to stay low carb.
Coconut sugar or coconut palm sugar has a similar appearance and taste to brown sugar. It can be used cup for cup as a replacement to white sugar and is good for baking.
A popular alternative is evaporated cane juice as it will work the same as white sugar. Substitute 1 cup for 1 cup in recipes. It hasn’t been bleached, no harmful chemicals have been used to make it, it still has some nutrients, and it tastes better than white sugar. Unfortunately, it is poorly tolerated by those with digestive and mental health concerns.
Liquid sweeteners will not generally work well in recipes where something has to be formed like a cookie. If you really wanted to try using them, bake the recipe mixture in a pan and cut it into squares.
Peanut butter
Purchase natural peanut butter to avoid the white sugar and hazardous oils that are in over-processed peanut butter. Many natural brands contain only ground, roasted peanuts, sometimes with the option of being able to choose between salted/unsalted and smooth/crunchy.
You can try other nut butters like hazelnut, almond, and cashew. Sunflower seed butter is a good option for those with family members allergic to nuts, or for those wanting to send butters to school. All of the alternative nut/seed butters will perform well in any recipe that calls for peanut butter. Cashew butter tastes the most similar to peanut butter.
GMO foods
When possible, purchase organic or look for foods labeled non-GMO by the non-GMO project. Look on their website for a list of foods that may be GMO. The main ones to avoid are corn, soy, and canola oil. For the full list of foods that have been genetically modified check the Non-GMO project website. They also certify products that have been manufactured without GMO ingredients.
Organic animal proteins
When creating a vegetarian version of a dish, it’s easy enough to choose vegetable stock in place of meat stock. If your recipe is a heartier dish, use mushroom stock as it is heartier tasting than vegetable stock. Adding red wine will also add depth for those heartier recipes. If a recipe calls for bacon, choose smoked paprika, or liquid smoke to get that bacon-like smokieness. Tempeh can be used in place of chicken, especially when the recipe calls for cut up pieces.
If a recipe calls for a larger piece of red meat, like steak, try a cauliflower, mushroom, eggplant, or extra-firm tofu steaks can be fun alternatives.
When you choose animal proteins for your recipes, go with organic as the animals don’t receive drugs or vaccinations, and they’re not subjected to as much stress as conventionally-raised animals. Their food will also not have chemical residues. Because the animals are organically raised, they build more of their own natural immunity and, therefore, have more antioxidants.
Margarine or shortening
Better alternatives are coconut oil, butter, or ghee. They perform the same, are tasty, and contain more beneficial nutrients. They can be used interchangeably in the recipe.
Canola oil
Canola oil is a trade name for low-erucic acid rapeseed oil that has been bred in a lab. Erucic acid is a toxic substance that has been linked to some health issues.
Fortunately, there are great substitutes – olive, and avocado oil are my favourites. Sesame, peanut oil, and rice bran oil are other options and, like avocado oil, are good for high-heat cooking. All of these oils are nutrient rich and most are very flavourful, with rice bran oil being neutral tasting.
Look for cold-pressed, unrefined oils. Refining is not the issue, but how that is accomplished is a cause for concern. Refining is an old technique to remove volatile compounds existing naturally in a plant. These volatile compounds cause the oil to go rancid faster. Most oils are refined with machinery containing hexane, and studies have shown that minute traces do end up in the oil. What cumulative or long-term issues this may cause are not known as hexane is a known toxin and at higher levels can cause a multitude of symptoms and issues.
If you desire a refined oil, look for one that is filtered for a refinement with a healthier method called water-aqueous solution.
All-purpose white flour
Using whole grain flour in place of all-purpose white flour is the simplest option. Whole grain flours contain more vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, and fibre. There will be a difference in performance because of the fibre so be sure to add extra water to compensate and prevent your recipe from feeling like cardboard. They also tend to be heavier so use a lesser amount that the white flour called for in the recipe. For those who don’t like the nutty “grainy” taste of whole wheat, you can use flours such as spelt, einkorn, kamut, or rye. Add 10-15 percent extra to compensate for the change..
It’s best to buy organic grain flours or ones that have been certified glyphosate free. Glyphosate, which is being linked to several potential health issues, can be “desiccated,” which means the grains are sprayed with glyphosate to kill them for a uniform harvest. And the residues have been found in products made with desiccated grains.
White cake and pastry flour
These are also known as “soft” flours. Whole wheat cake and pastry works well, but it has a grainy taste people do not prefer. Spelt and einkorn do not taste as grainy and they are both “soft” flours naturally. This makes them perfect for pastry, providing the texture you expect.
Don’t be afraid to mix white flour with whole grain. Sometimes this is the best way to get the result you love or to please your family. Replacing some of the white flour with whole grain flour in a recipe is a step to adding more nutrients to the diet.
Gluten-free flours
This requires technology and multiple calculations to replace the performance of gluten. Often gums are added to the ingredients to help bind. Ground chia seeds, flaxseeds, or psyllium husk are used to help make the recipe more flexible. Eggs and baking powder will help the recipe rise, even when yeast is in the recipe.
Experimentation is key. There are lots of types of flours to choose from that are nutrient-rich and flavourful, such as quinoa, brown rice, teff, millet, buckwheat, amaranth, chickpea (garbanzo bean) or other legume flours, coconut, and nut flours like almond. Be careful with coconut flour – a little goes a long way. Mixing these flours often gets the best results.
Muffins are the easiest to make gluten free, with sandwich bread being more difficult. Keep all flours and grains refrigerated or in the freezer to prevent them from going rancid.
White rice
Brown rice such as Jasmine or Basmati are excellent options. They have a fragrant, but not overpowering taste. The key is to cook the rice long enough, so it has the texture you like. Undercooking tends to make it a bit crunchy. It’s easy to make the adjustment. If your result is not the texture you like, brown rice can be returned to the stove and cooked longer by adding extra water, so it doesn’t burn. Keep cooking until it reaches the desired texture. For something different, you can also substitute quinoa for white rice.
Try cooking rice like you would pasta. Bring salted water to a boil, add rice and cook until al dente.
Herbs and spices
Adaptations here are all about flavour. If you like a particular herb or spice, try adding it to a new recipe. It’s a way to try something different and get a diverse range of nutrients. Try a new spice or herb that has the health benefits you want. Substitute as one-for-one and see how you like it. When substituting a fresh herb or spice for a dried, use a ratio of 3:1 for fresh to dried as dried is more potent.
For increased nutrient density, add extra amounts of existing herbs or spices.
Fruits and vegetables
Substitutions often arise due to allergies, taste preferences, or texture preferences. Not all fruits and vegetables perform the same. Substitute based on similar size and texture. A raspberry substitutes well for a blueberry in a recipe, while a banana does not. Think about the texture of the substitute in comparison to the one in the recipe. How hard or soft is it? How much liquid does it have? How strong is its flavour? These are the factors that will determine how well it will work in your recipe.
These basic strategies will help you to increase the nutrient value of your foods while maintaining the enjoyment of your favourite recipes. Trying new foods and recipes and experimenting with your favourites is an adventure. Give it a try and enjoy!
xo
Krista
Medical Disclaimer
All information contained in this article is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent health problems. For all serious health issues, please contact a medical or nutrition practitioner. The information provided in this program is based on the best knowledge of the author at the time of writing, and we do not assume liability for the information within this program, be it direct or indirect, consequential, special, exemplary, or other damages. In all circumstances, it is always wise to consult your physician before changing your diet, taking supplements, or starting any exercise or health program.