Since we’re all trying to stay home and avoid random trips to the store, it can be tough to cook when you don’t have all of the ingredients your favorite recipes call for. The good news is, there are often many ways to swap things out, and you may find alternatives that you like better than the original!
Start off with this list of ideas to keep you cookin’. Keep in mind, all of these swaps can go the other direction too!
If your recipe calls for…
You can use…
Things to note
sour cream
plain yogurt (or Greek yogurt)
cream
1 c. milk + 2-3 Tbsp melted butter
egg (in baking)
1 Tbsp chia or flax seeds soaked in 3 Tbsp water (1 egg equivalent)
OR
1/2 mashed banana
These alternatives will replace the binding properties of an egg in baking, but not necessarily the flavor of an egg.
baking powder
1 part baking soda + 2 parts cream of tartar
This is actually the recipe for baking powder – you can make it at home anytime!
cream of tartar
1 part white vinegar + 1 part lemon juice
cream cheese
cottage cheese, pureed until smooth
bacon
bacon bits, Canadian bacon, ham
to replicate the flavor of bacon only, use liquid smoke
bread crumbs
crackers, oats, or stale bread (blend to crumb in food processor), crushed bran cereal
for seasoned bread crumbs, add salt and herbs like parsley, oregano, and rosemary
This fruit-and-nut granola bar recipe is versatile, nutritious, and delicious. Make it with ingredients you already have – clean out that pantry and save money!
We interrupt our regularly scheduled keto feature to bring you “Nutrition in Quarantine!” We are in strange times, folks. Many of us have been in Coronavirus quarantine for at least a few days now and some are struggling to access the foods they typically eat. Now is a great time to complete a pantry or freezer challenge (or both!). These challenges involve “shopping” and meal planning primarily from the foods available in your pantry or freezer. They are typically used to prevent food waste, clean out your cupboards, and save money on food. In this case, the challenge will accomplish these goals as well as help you navigate nutrition throughout your time at home. I’ll take you through the process of a pantry challenge step-by-step. I’ll also be holding a Facebook Live event this Friday, March 20th at 12:30 pm PST for Pantry Challenge Q&A. Mark your calendars to join me on my Dietitian on a Diet Facebook page!
So let’s start our pantry/freezer challenge!
Step 1: Take Inventory
This can be a tedious process, but it’s crucial that you at least have some written representation of what is available to do the challenge most effectively. If it’s been a while since you’ve cleaned out your freezer or pantry, this could take a while but the silver lining is, this challenge will be easier the more you have available! I recommend separating your list into things that need to be used up (usually perishable foods or those nearing expiration), and things that you have available but will keep for a while. To simplify the process, feel free to lump foods you know you have into categories. For example, instead of writing “flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, etc.” it’s fine to write “baking supplies.” Each week it will be easier since you’ll have the list from the week before.
Here’s my first week pantry challenge inventory for an example:
2 links chicken sausage
1 frozen cooked pork chop
1 large frozen swai fillet
2 pcs cooked frozen carnitas
frozen cooked turkey
2 c. frozen ham
frozen ground beef
2 whole turkeys
frozen top round steak
dry beans/lentils
mixed nuts
Grains/Starches
red potatoes
MaSeCa
corn meal
3 whole wheat + 8 white hot dog buns
frozen tater tots
6 sesame seed hamburger buns
frozen cheddar jalapeno bagels
1/2 box Cheez-Its
pita bread
tortillas
quinoa/rice/pasta/oats
Ethiopian injera bread
baking supplies
Fruit
dried fruits/raisins
frozen berries
15 gallons apple cider
frozen plums
canned peaches/pears/applesauce
Miscellaneous
beef broth
ground flaxseed
red curry paste
Schezuan seasoning
Step 2: Mix and Match to Make Meal Ideas
Sometimes groups of foods will stand out to you as things that go together well. For example, in my list, I see turkey, tomato, onion, pitas, and hummus that could go together to make gyros. Make a list of possible meal or recipe ideas that you see from the list you have available. For certain rarely-used ingredients, think of the recipe you bought them for in the first place. For me, I buy MaSeCa corn flour to make pupusas (Salvadoran savory corn “pancakes”). I have never actually used it for anything else. Fortunately for me, I see the rest of the ingredients for pupusas on my list, so that’s going to be an option.
A couple of tips for this step:
Catch-alls: Curries, stir-fries, soups, scrambles, smoothies, and compotes are all examples of dishes that can be made with a wide variety of different fruits and vegetables. For more info on catch-alls, check out this post.
Recipe by ingredient resources: Websites/apps like Supercook or the Diabetes Food Hub (even if you don’t have diabetes!) allow you to search their databases by the ingredients you have available.
You can see my list of possible meal ideas below.
turkey dinner w/mashed potatoes, gravy, and green beans
Thai curry
lasagna casserole
gyros
macaroni and cheese
steak, potatoes, and veggies
breakfast cookies
baked beans w/ham and cornbread
masala lentils w/Ethiopian injera bread
pupusas
fruit & nut granola bars
Step 3: Select Your Meals
Decide if your goal is to get through the week without shopping at all, or if you plan to make a small grocery shopping trip. Skim your list to choose meals that use as many of your “need to use up” ingredients as possible, and don’t need ingredients you don’t have or can’t substitute (if you’re aiming not to shop – I’ll have a post coming up soon on making substitutions!). If there are things that you will need, make a shopping list. Here’s my first week’s meal plan:
Monday: steak, potatoes, veggies Tuesday: leftovers Wednesday: lasagna casserole Thursday: Thai turkey red curry Friday: macaroni and cheese with sausage Saturday: potluck (bring 2 gallons cider)
Step 4: Shop if Needed
Head to the store and pick up the few things you might need if you’re planning to shop. With my first week, I was able to cut my grocery bill from my usual $100 per week to only $54!
Hopefully these tips will help you feel more confident in using the food that you already have in your pantry or freezer. Not stressing about food can be a huge comfort in the midst of all of the confusion. I would be remiss if I did not mention that my greatest source of peace and comfort in all of this is knowing that God is in control, that Jesus died for me, and that no matter what happens, I’m in good hands. I hope you know the same peace and comfort, so the stresses of the world shrink in comparison to His goodness and grace. Hang in there, folks – we will get through this!
Diet culture is determined to tell you that you have to be miserable to be healthy.
That couldn’t be more wrong.
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