Ingredient Swaps

• Melted coconut oil, grapeseed oil or olive oil for melted butter (consider if savory or sweet use).

• Cashew milk/cream or coconut milk/yogurt for dairy milk.

• Coconut/almond/cashew yogurt for dairy yogurt.

• Mix 1 cup (258 mL) non-dairy milk + 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar or lemon juice for buttermilk.

• Organic non-dairy creamer products for heavy cream.

• 1:1 gluten-free flour blend for wheat flour in baking.

• Ground oats, buckwheat flour, cassava flour for wheat or whole wheat flour.

• Rice flour for wheat flour when thickening a sauce.

• Tamari or coconut aminos for soy sauce.

• Mix 1 Tbsp (7 g) ground flaxseed or chia seed + 2 Tbsp (30 mL) water per egg for baking or binding (e.g. meatballs, burgers).

• Sprouted organic tofu for eggs in scrambled egg dishes.

• Dairy or nondairy milk for egg in egg washes for baking.

• Coconut aminos for soy sauce or tamari.

• Olive oil or ghee for soybean oil for pan frying.

• Avocado oil for cooking.

I generally recommend reducing the overall sweetness step-by-step to accommodate the palate to shift to less sweetened foods, rather than swapping sugar for another sweetener with high sweetness. Please note that in baking, removing some of the granulated sugar may change the baking time.

• Honey, dates paste, maple syrup, mashed banana, or apple sauce for corn syrup.

• Stevia or monk fruit for liquid or granulated sugars.

• Swerve (can be measured just like regular sugar so it makes a good substitute for baking).

• I do not recommend artificial sweeteners as sugar substitutes.

Some sodium is recommended and necessary in the diet for healthy functioning of nerves and the brain, though I may suggest changing this amount for specific health conditions.

• Herbs and spices or a blend, e.g. oregano, parsley, basil, ginger, turmeric.

• Acidic flavours, especially lemon or lime juice, orange juice, and the zests of these fruits.

• Flavoured vinegars, e.g. sherry, champagne, apple cider, balsamic.

• Garlic and onion, fresh or dried and powdered.

• Dried mushroom powder, nutritional yeast, seaweed, tomato paste, or tamari for a richer, “umami” flavour.

• Dulse or kelp granules.