Your favorite recipes can be adjusted to lower fat, salt, or sugar content, yet still maintain good taste. Recipes that are cooked rather than baked can often turn out quite well with a simple reduction in sugar, salt, or fat. It is possible to substitute low-fat or low-sodium ingredients in certain recipes. As an example, using 1% milk instead of whole milk in a pudding recipe lowers fat and calories without significantly altering the taste.

Some of the recipes found in this cookbook may contain ingredients such as butter or salt in small amounts. These ingredients are usually part of a recipe because they improve the flavor of a food or aid in the baking process. When baking bread, cookies, or cakes, salt is usually required in the leavening process and should not be eliminated.

If you must eliminate all butter from your diet, most recipes can use margarine or vegetable oil as a substitute. You and your dietitian can decide whether it is appropriate to include these ingredients in small quantities or make a substitution.

The recipes for baked desserts found in this cookbook have different methods for addressing sugar in the recipe. Some recipes will simply have a reduction in the total amount of sugar used; others use a different type of sugar that has caloric value, such as honey or maple syrup. When these are used in the place of sugar, a lesser quantity is used; it is lower in sugar, but not sugar free.

Lastly, some recipes have a combination of an artificial sweetener with a very small amount of regular sugar. As you work with these, or with your own recipes, you will learn how to adjust ingredients to get good results.

Tips for Replacing or Reducing Sugar and Fat

• Try reducing a standard recipe's sugar content 25–50 percent. It's usually best to start with a smaller reduction (25 percent) and gradually decrease the amount of sugar each time you make it. Be sure to note whether the properties of the food have any significant or undesirable changes, then adjust as needed.

• Use puréed, unsweetened fruit or fruit juices to replace some or all of the sugar in a recipe.

• Honey or maple syrup will affect blood sugar; however, either can add sweetness to a food. Carbohydrate and calories can be reduced in a recipe if you use a smaller amount of these sugars in a recipe.

• Many recipes can withstand up to a 50 percent reduction in fat. To replace fat but not volume, try using plain yogurt, applesauce, mashed ripe banana, or other puréed fruit for half of the oil or shortening called for in a recipe. If the product requires sweetness in addition to volume, applesauce or mashed ripe banana make good options.

Using Sugar Substitutes

Sugar substitutes are never mandatory for diabetes management, but they can offer options to those who may wish to use them. Using a sugar substitute in recipes can slash sugar and a significant amount of calories. When using sugar substitutes in baking, keep in mind that sweetness is being added to the food, but other traits unique to a baked product (volume, texture, golden-brown color) may be altered.

The sweeteners listed below are all approved by the FDA. They vary in taste, uses, and suitability for cooking or baking. You will need to do a taste test on your own to decide which ones are best for you.

SUGAR SUBSTITUTES