Chef

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.