If you can’t find what you’re looking for at the grocery store or don’t have an ingredient on hand at home, don’t fear! Check out our list of simple ingredient swaps.
- Don’t have canned beans? Use dried instead! Remember to wait to add salt to the beans until they are almost done cooking.
- Swap out fresh fruit for frozen or canned fruit. When purchasing canned, just look for “no sugar added” on the label or canned in juice, instead of syrup.
- Out of fresh vegetables? Canned or frozen can be just as nutritious! When shopping canned, choose the low-sodium or no salt added option. You can also rinse canned vegetables to remove excess sodium.
- Can’t find bread or pizza crusts at your local grocery store? Put your baking skills to the test and make your own pizza dough at home.
- Getting bored of plain water? Try making your own infused water. You can even add club soda to make your infused water sparkling!
- No fresh herbs on hand? Simply swap them out with dried herbs. Just remember, you don’t need as much when the dried version.
- Down to the last drop of vinegar? Swap it out for fresh lemon juice, which mimics vinegar’s acidity.
- Substitute Greek yogurt for sour cream! The thick, tangy consistency makes a great replacement.
- Running low on rice? Experiment with a different grain instead! Some good options are quinoa, barley, farro, couscous, and bulgur.
For more ideas, ask our experts using our Ask a Dietitian tool.
