To replace:
1. Sausage, salami and mortadella
Opt for lean cold meats in your sandwiches or panini: turkey breast, ham, roast beef or pork, prosciutto or pastrami.
Sandwiches
Tomato, Olive and Prosciutto Toast
2. Bacon or lardons
Add diced smoked ham (Black Forest) to your pasta dishes or Caesar salad.
30-Minute Recipes
Lemon, Ham and Arugula Pasta
3. Potatoes fried in oil
Coat your potatoes in a little canola or olive oil, place on a baking sheet and cook at a high temperature in the oven.
Vegetables and gratinees
Oven Fries with Olive Oil
4. Potato chips
Munch on some pretzels or popcorn. Make pita chips by cutting each flatbread into triangles, then place the pieces on a baking sheet and dry in the oven for a few minutes.
Candies, chocolates and Sweets
Vegan Lime and Black Pepper Popcorn
5. Mayonnaise
Spread a thin layer of pesto on your sandwich (basil or sun-dried tomato) or a yogurt-based spread (tzatziki), vegetable spread (red bell pepper, eggplant, guacamole) or a legume spread (hummus, lentil).
Dips and salty spreads
Hummus
6. Cream-based soups
Adding cream is not always necessary if a soup is thick enough: just add less broth when you put your vegetables in the blender.
Soups and broths
Potage Crécy (French Carrot Soup)
When it comes to dessert, there are many ways to keep it light but still delicious. Here are a few suggestions.
To replace:
7. Rich desserts
Swap 35% cream for 15% country cream. If you like the taste, you can also replace half the cream in a recipe (e.g. panna cotta) with 1% buttermilk.
8. Croissants, danishes, brioche
If you have a sweet tooth, spread honey or maple butter on a good raisin or nut bread. Crepes and French toast with fresh fruit on the side are also a few tasty and good-for-you options.
Baking
Cinnamon Raisin Bread
9. Quick breads and muffins
Replace half the quantity of oil in a muffin recipe with unsweetened applesauce or prune purée (throw an equal amount of prunes and hot water in the blender). You can do the same with dried apricots. As an added bonus, you get fibre, vitamins and minerals.
Breakfast and brunch
Zucchini, Apple and Raisin Muffins
10. Sour cream
Use thick plain yogurt or labneh (strained yogurt). You can also strain plain yogurt through a cheesecloth, leaving it to drain for a thicker consistency.
Dips and salty spreads
Yogurt Cheese or Labneh in a Yogourt Maker
11. Crème fraîche
Use half the amount called for with thick plain yogurt (Greek style). This is the secret of many pastry chefs!
Yogurt and cheese
Homemade Greek Yogurt
12. Ice cream
Treat yourself to sorbet made with fresh fruit or frozen yogurt. Yogurt tubes can also be frozen. If your teeth are not sensitive to cold, enjoy some thawed frozen fruit: mangoes, blueberries, raspberries or grapes.
