Welcome to Smart Substitutions September Edition! This is where we introduce a small change that you can make in your daily cooking habits to create foods that are delicious and a little bit healthier. This month’s feature substitution: Yogurt!
What:
Plain, low-fat yogurt is that smooth, white product that many people already have in their fridges. It has all of the calcium, protein and magnesium of full-fat yogurt, but with about half of the saturated fat. But this is not really about substituting low-fat dairy in place of full-fat dairy, it’s about substituting yogurt (full or low-fat) in place of sour cream. Sour cream has a rich taste and tangy flavor that really adds a lot to many foods, but it comes with a heavy price: Saturated Fat. Using yogurt in place of sour cream is a great way to reduce saturated fat in many of your favorite recipes.
Where:
Low-fat, plain yogurt is available at many many food retailers. It’s found in the dairy section, but it can be easy to confuse the low-fat with the full-fat yogurts since they aren’t usually color coded in the way that milk is.
Why:
Sour cream has a lot of uses in baking and cooking. It has a unique flavor, which is helpful in balancing dishes without making them overly sweet. The downside is that it also has a lot of saturated fat. Yogurt provides the tangy flavor, benefits of dairy and a reduction in the amount of fat. Greek yogurt is even thicker than regular yogurt and can be used to get both the taste and texture of sour cream.
When:
Definitely a great substitute for sour cream in baked goods, sauces, dressing and dips. Anytime a recipe calls for sour cream (or creme fraiche if you’re into that) you can substitute yogurt. It has all of the health benefits of yogurt, with less fat than sour cream. Since it also has that slightly tangy taste, it’s an excellent substitute to maintain the flavor and texture that sour cream adds, without all of the saturated fat.
Yogurt has so many health benefits, so it’s really fun to use it in unexpected ways. Add a little to coffee cake or salad dressing to maintain the creamy texture and tangy flavor. If you are making a sour cream cake, then using anything else will result in a less tender cake, so just be aware. One thing to be aware of is when you heat yogurt, it will curdle (I’ve done this myself. Yogurt ice cream anyone?). If you need to melt the yogurt, pour a hot liquid over the yogurt and blend well.
For yogurt based snacks, click here.
