Healthy food substitutions for lighter spring recipes

Instead of canned vegetables...

Spring is the best time to purge your pantry of paltry-flavored canned vegetables and replace them with the fresh-picked bounty of veggies from the farmers' market or grocery store. Even better, get involved in your local CSA (community supported agriculture) to have fresh vegetables, fruits and other goods delivered right to your door. Fresh vegetables reign supreme when it comes to nutrient value and taste compared to their pale, canned counterparts floating in a sodium-laden liquid.

Instead of refined grains...

Comfort foods made with all-purpose flour, white rice and pasta may hit the spot in the winter but they offer little nutrition for a lot of extra calories (not what you need when trying to fit back into your warm weather attire). Swap out all-purpose flour with white whole-wheat flour, which offers a lighter texture than regular whole-wheat flour, yet still delivers the same fiber and nutrients. Substitute brown rice for white rice, or adventure into other whole grains, such as quinoa, barley or cornmeal for your grain-based dishes. When making pasta, replace regular pasta with whole wheat or other whole grain varieties.

Instead of butter...

Olive oil is one of the heart-healthiest swaps for butter, which is dense in saturated fat. Use olive oil for sautéing or roasting vegetables and protein-rich foods (like seafood and poultry), as well as for drizzling on whole grain breads. Another alternative is coconut oil, which is solid at room temperature and can be swapped in for cooking and baking — if you don't mind a welcome taste of the tropics in your food.

Instead of sour cream or heavy dairy products...

Plain Greek-style yogurt is a tasty protein-rich substitution for sour cream in savory recipes and can be swapped in for oil called for in baked goods. You can also swirl fresh fruit into Greek yogurt to healthfully replace the sugar-laden "fruit" yogurts. For the lightest swap, opt for non- or low-fat varieties of Greek yogurt.

Instead of red meat...

Steak and potatoes is a popular go-to in the winter when you need to warm your belly, but heavy fare will not only sap your spring energy, it will also thwart your weight loss hopes. Lighten up by swapping ground turkey for ground beef, go for skinless chicken on the bone instead of pork or beef ribs, and eat seafood at least twice per week to cut down on calories and saturated fat.

Instead of pie pastry...

Buy a few boxes of frozen phyllo dough and keep it on hand to replace pie pastry for sweet or savory pies and turnovers and to make light, flaky packets for whatever delicious ingredients you have on hand. Phyllo dough comes in rolls of paper-thin sheets that need to be thawed for a few hours before use, so plan accordingly. To use, you simply layer sheets of phyllo, misting each sheet lightly with olive oil before stacking, and use like pie pastry to line pie plates and as a top crust or to wrap around ingredients before baking. You can even use phyllo to make pizza, swapping out heavy dough for a lighter crust. Phyllo is fun because you can use entire sheets or cut sheets into any size you need.

Instead of sugar...

Though it seems to satisfy a sweet tooth, sugar lacks any nutritional value and quickly loads food with empty calories. The easiest way to swap out sugar is to simply reduce the amount you use -- most recipes will taste the same if you reduce the sugar by one-third. Consider adding fresh or dried fruit, nuts, and/or dark chocolate to baking recipes while cutting down sugar to reign in calories without leaving baked goods tasting bland. You can also substitute honey or maple syrup or even puréed fruit for sugar.

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