YOGURT AS A NUTRITIOUS SUBSTITUTE

YOGURT AS A NUTRITIOUS SUBSTITUTE

Yogurt is one of the most versatile foods, especially for children who love dips and toppings. It can be used as a substitute for many high-fat foods. Here are some suggestions.

1. Use yogurt in place of mayonnaise. Non- fat, plain yogurt contains less than ten percent of the calories, less than one percent of the fat, and around three percent of the cholesterol of an equal amount of regular mayonnaise. Combining equal amounts of low-calorie mayonnaise and low fat yogurt works well for many dishes, including potato salad, coleslaw, pasta salad, tuna salad, dips, and appetizers.

2. A favorite with toddlers. Yogurt makes a tasty and nutritious dip for toddlers, who love to dip their exploring fingers into new foods. It is also a favorite topping for toddler foods and a time-honored bait to entice toddlers to try new foods.

3. Try whole plain yogurt as a healthy alternative to sour cream. It is much lower in calories, fat, and cholesterol. If you're adding it to a sauce in place of sour cream, heat it over very low heat so it doesn't curdle. After a while, switch to lowfat.

4. Try yogurt in baking recipes. Plain yogurt can often be substituted for milk, buttermilk, or sour cream in recipes for waffles, pancakes, and muffins.

5. Substitute yogurt for ice cream. Yogurt shakes and smoothies are a low-fat alternative to ice cream.

NUTRIMYTH: Frozen yogurt is always a healthy substitute for regular yogurt. Not all frozen yogurts are created equal. Quality frozen yogurt will have at least 10 million live and active cultures (LAC) seal. The LAC seal signifies that the frozen yogurt has at least that amount of live and active cultures. While it has less live and active cultures than regular yogurt, frozen yogurt is still a good source of live and active cultures, calcium, and a delicious hot weather treat.