Buttermilk

Make your own buttermilk by mixing 1 cup of skim milk with 1 tbsp of fresh lemon juice.

Self-raising flour

Simply add 2 tsp of baking powder to every cup of plain flour. For more on substituting flours, click here.

Sour cream

In a pinch, you can replace sour cream with yoghurt.

Ricotta cheese

Soft tofu is a good substitute for ricotta. It can be crumbled over salad or stir-fries. It can also be scrambled like eggs, shaped into patties and pureed and then added to soups or sauces. You can also make your own ricotta from scratch with this cheat’s recipe.

Eggs

To make the equivalent of one egg, mix 1 tbsp of chia seeds or ground flaxseed with 3 tbsp water and set aside for 10 minutes or until thick.

Sugar

Swap coconut sugar 1:1 with regular sugar in baking and in cooking. Coconut sugar has a comparatively lower GI and fewer carbohydrates than white sugar. See more sugar substitutions here.

Wine

In savoury recipes, replace the wine with an equal amount of chicken or beef stock. In sweet recipes, replace the wine with an equal amount of clear fruit juice mixed with 2 tsp vinegar.

Fresh herbs

You can usually substitute 1 tbsp of fresh herbs with 1/2 tsp of ground dried herbs.

Spaghetti

Long thin strands of zucchini make a delicious substitute for spaghetti. It’s a lower calorie option too!

Dried breadcrumbs

Try substituting dried breadcrumbs with crushed crackers, cornflakes or even potato chips.