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The Simple Key to Modifying Recipes
Nutrition | January 18, 2018
Whether you’ve signed up for one of my meal plans (such as the new Shred & Glow, or the Z-Shred Super Food) or enjoy the free recipes I include on the site, you must have noticed that I include a variety of dishes and ingredients for you to choose from. The problem is, as I’m sure some of you must have faced, is that not everyone is going to enjoy them due to their personal dietary preferences. My meat-based meals obviously aren’t going to work for vegans, and those following a Paleo-style diet aren’t going to consume any grains or legumes. I also have many recipes that include dairy, which can be a problem for those of you with intolerances to it. Without a doubt, I’m not going to please everyone. But I can at least try to show you how to make them work for you no matter the way of eating you choose to follow.
So now you may be thinking- how can I make all of these recipes adaptable?
The answer is very simple.
Substitution
That’s all you have to do, really! Replace the ingredients you don’t want to cook with for something else. Now I’m sure this is easier said than done.
Remember how I mentioned both vegan and paleo eaters butting heads over which foods they can and cannot eat? Just do a simple swap!
Here are a few examples:
Vegans:
Let’s say you want to make my Baked Parmesan Zucchini Sticks (FM). Write down all of the non-vegan ingredients and figure out how you can substitute them for vegan options. In this, you’d have to swap out the egg, parmesan cheese, and mayo. Here are some things you can do:
For eggs:
- Use soaked flax or chia seeds (let them turn into ‘gel’ in a few tablespoons of water)
- Mash a banana, sweet potato/potato, yam, or squash
- In some cases, you can get away with breading your veggie and dipping it in non-dairy milk (like almond milk)
- Find a Vegan-Egg Replacement product (some brands that sell them include Ener-G, Bob’s Red Mill, Orgran, Neat Egg Mix, and Follow Your Heart)
For cheese:
- Purchase a dairy-free brand (try using one from brands like Daiya, Chao, Follow Your Heart, Miyoko’s Kitchen, or Kite Hill); cream cheese, parmesan, mozzarella, you name it- there are many non-dairy alternatives to choose from (just keep in mind that these are still a processed food and should be consumed in moderation)
- Nutritional Yeast, which is said to have a “cheesy” flavor and is a great replacement for parmesan cheese; it’s also rich in B-vitamins and includes a bit of protein. (If you’ve already signed up for the Shred & Glow Meal Plan, you’ve most likely seen many recipes featuring this ingredient, including my Vegan Parmesan Cheese.)
- Other ways to replace cheese (especially if they’re incorporated into a sauce or cream) is to either grind or puree nuts and seasonings together. Cashews, macadamia nuts and almonds in particular are very useful options.
- Tofu, when prepared accordingly, can also act as a replacement for certain cheeses like feta.
For mayo:
- Look for a vegan brand at the market. (Just Mayo, Vegenaise, and Primal Kitchen all make vegan mayo.)
- Use a bit of non-dairy milk or yogurt in place of mayo
- Depending on the recipe, you might be able to get away with mashing up an avocado in place of mayo
- Make your own at home! There are plenty of recipes online for you to choose from; I’m sad to say that I have yet to post one.
What about my recipes that include animal meat for protein? Once again, substitute! Let’s take a look at another recipe of mine and see how we can modify it for vegans:
Roasted Carrots and Spicy Ground Beef (FM).
After going through the ingredients, the only non-vegan item that needs to be replaced is the ground beef. Here are some substitutes that you can use for this recipe:
- Tofu
- Tempeh
- Beans (chickpea, kidney bean, black bean, white bean, etc)
- Lentils (red, brown, etc)
- Mushrooms (note that these will not provide much protein, but do lend a “meaty” texture)
Choose one of these options for the beef, and continue making it like you normally would. The cooking time may vary a bit since these substitutes don’t cook the same as beef, but generally speaking it should be very similar.
A note for Vegetarians:
If you are fine with eggs and dairy, you have a bit more to play with. There’s no need to worry about replacing dairy or eggs. That being said, if the only animal based product you include is dairy, then for things like mayo you can use yogurt or kefir as a replacement.
Meat Eaters:
Here’s a reversal- say you’re interested in something like my Crunchy Garlic Tofu (FM), but you’d rather not use soy, let alone tofu. The solution is to substitute it with an animal-based protein of your choice:
- Poultry
- Beef
- Fish
- Pork
- Eggs
That’s it! You can still use the rest of the ingredients and have a delicious meal.
Let’s use another recipe as an example for substitution- my Simple Two Bean Chili (WEM). If you’re not a fan of beans and wish to omit them, then replace them once again with something like ground turkey, beef, or pork. Vegetables like cauliflower and zucchini can be shredded and added for extra bulk as well. This can also be applied to other recipes like my Curry Stuffed Acorn Squash (WEM), which includes chickpeas as an ingredient. Instead of using chickpeas, add some chicken, cheese, extra veggies (broccoli, asparagus, brussels sprouts, squash, etc), or just skip the beans entirely. You’re in control of the recipe, so feel free to explore and get creative!
A note on grains:
Are you following a grain-free diet or don’t do well with them? Once again, there are options for you!
For cooked-grain dishes that include grains (rice, quinoa, farro, couscous, amaranth, corn/polenta, buckwheat), swap any of these out for cauliflower. In fact, I’ve got a number of cauliflower rice dishes on my site, such as Ginger Chicken with Cauliflower Rice (FM). Not only will you hardly notice the difference, you’ll be getting in extra fiber and veggies into your diet (without sacrificing flavor).
What about pasta? Try one of these options the next time you get the cravings for spaghetti. First, you can try making the noodles yourself, using a recipe like my grain free, low-carb Egg Noodles (FM). Second, you can also stick to veggies and either peel or “spiralize” (with the use of a spiralizer) them into noodles; my Low Calorie Pasta Dinner (FM) uses zucchini and summer squash. If you’re not too keen on using kitchen equipment, you can also substitute with spaghetti squash, which naturally contains noodle-like threads inside. For directions on how to do this, take a look at my Skinny Spaghetti Recipe for Fat Loss (FM). If you’re making lasagna, substitute the long, flat noodles for sliced eggplant, zucchini, or squash, like I do in my Kale and Butternut Squash Lasagna (FM).
Protein Powders
This last section is probably the easiest to adapt no matter the recipe. If a recipe includes protein powder, simply choose the protein powder that aligns with your eating style. If you’re vegan, use a plant-based protein powder, and if you do well with animal-based blends, then go with whey or egg-based protein powders. For more info on protein powders, read my Quick Guide here.
At the end of the day, all of us are just trying to do our best. We all want to be as healthy as we can be, and shouldn’t let our differing food choices get in the way. If there’s a recipe of mine that you’d love to make but can’t due to your personal diet, remember that there’s no reason why you have to follow it to the letter. Feel free to change things up a bit and substitute as needed. It may take a bit of planning ahead, but it’s better than skipping out on what could be a wonderful recipe!
Private Member |
hailey, idaho
This definitely works for cooking, but baking is such a science. The ingredient chemistry is affected when you substitute. I guess I’ve yet to become a confident baker (healthy or not), so that definitely affects my ability to successfully substitute when baking.
Private Member |
seattle, washington
I can’t believe how much effort you put into helping people here. You are amazingly kind at times. Thanks! 🙂
Private Member |
washington, dc, usa
It is absolutely refreshing Chris. That’s why we all love her.
Private Member |
seattle, washington
I’m always amazed at little Zu!
Private Member |
This is great advice thank you! I stay low carb so sometimes don’t know what to do with a high carb meal! I appreciate your hard work for us so much! 🙂
Private Member |
woodbridge, virginia, usa
Z!!!!! Can I just say that I am loving all of the helpful postings that you’re sharing!!! Awesome-Sauce!!!
Private Member |
washington, dc, usa
Hey Keemi! It is nice to see another Zgym member sorta kinda from my neck of the woods.
Private Member |
woodbridge, virginia, usa
Hey, Barby-B! Where you are located?
Private Member |
washington, dc, usa
I’m in DC.
Private Member |
Very sweet Zuzka thanks! 😍
Private Member |
Great article, very helpful. Thank you
Private Member |
québec, canada
Such a great article. It all makes sense!
I feel I have a lot of choices since I eat everything. But it’s refreshing to be able to try new ingredients and recipes that are plant-based or vegetarian. I love trying new stuff.
Private Member |
clare, mi, united states
I have a severe nut allergy. Does anyone have any substitution ideas for me? Usually those recipes are just off limits for me, unless the nuts can be omitted. Thank you!
Private Member |
ellijay, ga, united states
If the nuts are in the recipe just for the crunch, I wonder if replacing them with something like cacoa nibs might work (not chocolate chips, but rather the raw cacoa nibs…it’s a bit healthier that way, too!). We use those and they have a nice, crisp crunch! (AND a hint of chocolate-ish flavor to boot!) They’re a bit hard to find in stores, though (at least here) — we order them online. Or maybe seeds (like sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds)?
Private Member |
Wonderful post!!!
I often substitute in recipes…sometimes, I get very creative. e.g. my husbands allergic to eggs and we were cooking coconut shrimp. We decided to try to dip the shrimp in melted butter instead of eggs before next covering with the coconut. They turned out amazing!
We also substitute grounded flax or psyllium husk and water for eggs.
And you can substitute Red Mills gluten free flour with exact measurements as white flour in recipes.
Another substitute I often do has to do with sugar. I like to instead use a combination of the healthier sweeteners to taste – such as liquid stevia, monk fruit, xylitol.
I do love when a recipe book offers ideas for substituting as well.
Private Member |
I have a question about almond milk used in recipes (not for drinking it plain).
In Slovakia (Europe) you can buy Alpro brand, 1litre per 2,6€ (3,20 USD). It contains – water, sugar, almonds (2,3%!), some emulsifier, salt, stabilizers and some added vitamins (B2, B12, D2 and E).
There are lots of DIYs how to make it at home, but you need to use handfull (100g?) of almonds for that (some recipes suggest 1 cup almonds for 2 cups of water!), which is not cheap either. Also after draining it, you are left with almond milk and remains of mixed almonds. If you eat those remains it increases your calorie intake and I don´t need that. So should you throw them away? 🙁 And this almond milk does not contain stabilizers so it lasts only for about 3 days 🙁 Also you are spending time with making it and washing dishes…
But here is the question:
Almond milk is mostly used for smoothies and other meals here, you do not drink it plain, so WHY I should buy or make “milk”?
For example in the Popeye smoothie, if I replace 1 cup of almond milk with 1 cup of water and just 5 almonds, it is almost the same calorie and nutrition intake, isn´t it? And it will be mixed into a smoothie with other ingredients anyway, right? No need for the fuss about buying or making “milk”, right?
100g of almonds cost about 1€ here, so this simple “water with 2,3% almonds” will cost me 0,23€/litre.
Or am I missing something?
Private Member |
I buy organic almond milk. Sugar is less than 1g per serving, its got 20g protein in it, its full of nutrients, and it’s $2.69 for a half gallon in ohio (US)… BUT we don’t drink cow’s milk. Only organic almond milk and organic coconut milk…
Private Member |
Would you mind sharing the brand of almond milk that you use?
Private Member |
Amount per serving
% daily value
Calories
35
From fat
25
Total Fat
2.5g
4%
Saturated Fat
0g
0%
Trans Fat
0g
Cholesterol
0mg
0%
Sodium
190mg
8%
Total Carbohydrate
2g
1%
Dietary Fiber
0g
0%
Sugars
<1g
Protein
20g
Vitamin A
10%
Vitamin C
0%
Vitamin D
25%
Calcium
2%
Iron
2%
Riboflavin
30%
Contains: Tree Nuts (Almonds)