In an attempt to limit your trips to the grocery store, you may find yourself missing an ingredient mid-recipe. However, thanks to Fareway Dietitian Whitney Hemmer, you may already have a suitable substitute already on hand:
1. Pasta
You can swap virtually any pasta for another, just adjust your cooking time based on the shape and size. Make an healthier substitute by using whole wheat pasta in place of traditional for added fiber.
2. Pasta Sauce
Out of marinara? Grab one of these subs:
- Canned tomatoes – add your own seasonings or buy pre-seasoned
- Tomato pasta + water + dried herbs and spices
- Tomato soup – if your recipe calls of other “wet” ingredients, you may need to limit them to account for the soup
- Tomato sauce + seasonings
3. Breadcrumbs
One-quarter cup dry, fine breadcrumbs can be replaced with ¾ cup soft breadcrumbs (a great way to use up stale bread), ¼ cup cracker crumbs, ¼ cup crushed cornflakes, or 2/3 cups rolled oats (you may need to pulse the oats in a food processor). Use these substitutes for everything from meatloaf to casserole toppings to breaded chicken.
4. Fresh Seasonings
If using a dried herb in place of fresh, use 1/3 the amount since dried herbs and spices have a concentrated flavor. To replace 1 fresh, sautéed onion, use 1 teaspoon onion powder or 1 tablespoon dehydrated onion flakes. Similarly, one-quarter teaspoon garlic powder can replace 2 cloves of fresh garlic.