Out of butter? Great! Here are some heart-healthy recipe substitutions from our friends at Food and Health Communications. You may also download the chart in a handy PDF format for your kitchen.
Instead of | Portion | Saturated Fat(g) | Use | Saturated Fat(g) |
DAIRY Butter* |
1 Tbsp |
7.5 |
Vegetable oil, broth |
0.0 |
Cream |
2 Tbsp |
7.0 |
Evaporated skim milk, |
0.0 |
Cream cheese |
2 Tbsp |
6.5 |
fat-free half & half Light cream cheese |
3.5 |
Eggnog |
1/2 cup |
5.5 |
Fat-free eggnog |
0.0 |
Half and half |
2 Tbsp |
2.0 |
Fat-free half and half |
0.0 |
Ice cream |
1/2 cup |
6.0 |
Frozen yogurt |
1.5 |
Sour cream |
2 Tbsp |
3.0 |
Fat-free sour cream |
0.0 |
Whipped cream |
2 Tbsp |
3.0 |
Fat-free whipped cream |
0.0 |
Whole milk |
1 cup |
5.0 |
Skim milk |
0.0 |
Totals |
45.5 |
5.0 |
*For baking recipes, you should use trans-fat-free margarine and reduce the amount by half. Substitute applesauce or baby food prunes. For finishing vegetables, use butter-flavored spray. For mashed potatoes and stuffing, decrease fat by half and use light, trans-fat margarine.
MEAT/POULTRY | ||||
Bacon |
3 slices |
3.0 |
Turkey bacon* |
1.5 |
Gravy |
1/4 cup |
14.0 |
Defatted gravy |
1.0 |
Beef, prime rib** |
3 oz |
12.0 |
Beef tenderloin, fat trimmed |
3.0 |
Beef, T-bone |
3 oz |
7.0 |
Beef tenderloin, fat trimmed |
3.0 |
Turkey, dark with skin |
3 oz |
7.0 |
Turkey breast, no skin |
0.7 |
Sausage |
3 oz |
9.0 |
Vegetarian sausage* |
0.5 |
Totals |
52.0 |
9.7 |
*Read the label, nutrition facts vary by brand.
**Restaurant portions are often triple this amount, so saturated fat could go to 36g per portion!
NOTE: For heart-healthier cooking, you should limit animal protein and emphasize more whole grains, beans, soy protein, fish (baked, not fried), fruits and grains in your meals. Think of meat as a condiment and use less in each serving. A 3 oz. serving of meat is the size of a deck of cards.
MISCELLANEOUS | ||||
Coconut |
1 oz |
6.5 |
Toasted pecans or almonds |
1.5 |
Hydrogenated shortening * |
1 Tbsp |
3.0 |
Vegetable oil or trans-free margarine |
0.2 |
Whole eggs |
2 |
3.0 |
Egg white or non-fat egg substitute |
0.0 |
Totals |
12.5 |
1.7 |
*This product is hydrogenated and contains additional trans-fat; read the nutrition facts label.
By: Denice Taylor, RD, LD
© Food and Health Communications
Woodholme encourages a healthy diet and proper nutrition as one aspect of maintaining heart health. The nutrition information and recipes are presented for informational purposes only and are not intended to take the place of one-on-one advice from your doctor. Please follow your personal physician’s recommendations if any recipes, ingredients, or advice found here conflict with what your doctor