26 food substitutes

How can a simple ingredient swap save you money and still taste good? Whether you’re substituting for speed or looking for healthy food substitutes, we’ll share some food swap ideas and some ways to get creative with saving money on your grocery budget.

What are food substitutions?

If you've ever been caught mid-recipe without a crucial ingredient, needed to make changes to your diet because of a medical condition like allergies, or if your dietary preference like going vegan means you have to give up certain ingredients, you'll know the struggle of having to find an alternative. 

Food substitutes allow you to keep eating your favourite foods with a healthy twist, adapt to new dietary preferences, or even help you successfully complete your meal when a quick grocery run is out of the question. 

There are so many food swap ideas out there but we've narrowed them down to the ones that will really stretch your food budget and help you find ways to make use of what you probably already have at home. 

Egg substitutes

Whether for leavening your baked goods or adding flavour and colour to your food, eggs are a staple for many households. If you find yourself all out of eggs or want to make some vegan-friendly swaps, here are some egg substitutes you can use.

Aquafaba

Mashed bananas

Yoghurt

Silken tofu

Ground flaxseeds or chia seeds

Applesauce

Butter substitutes 

Olive oil

Mashed bananas

Nut butters

Greek yoghurt 

Avocado

Pumpkin purée

Baking soda substitutes

Most recipes may only call for a pinch of baking soda but leaving it out means your cookies and bread may not turn out as light and fluffy as you'd want it. Luckily, there are a few things that you can easily swap out for baking soda.

Baking powder

Like baking soda, baking powder is also a leavening agent. However, they're not the same -- baking soda is almost three times stronger than baking powder. When substituting baking powder for baking soda, you need to use more baking powder to get the same effect as if you used baking soda.

To substitute baking soda, use about triple the amount of baking powder. For example, if the recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of baking soda, use about 3 teaspoons of baking powder. Substituting with baking powder can result in a slightly saltier and more acidic flavour so it may be a good idea to reduce the amount of salt you add if the recipe calls for it, and replacing or reducing other acidic ingredients in the recipe.

Self-rising flour

Self-rising flour is a combination of all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. It's also responsible for making your baked goods rise. Just like when you substitute with baking powder, you might need to make adjustments to your recipe. Generally, 1 cup of self-rising flour contains 1½ teaspoons of baking powder and ¼ teaspoon of salt.

Soy sauce substitutes

Soy sauce is a staple in many households as it's used as a versatile condiment and in a wide variety of Asian cuisines. It brings a complex flavour and saltiness to many dishes. Here are three things you can substitute for soy sauce -- just be sure to taste as you go.

Salt

Soy sauce and salt are both seasonings for food. You can substitute salt for soy sauce but you will lose the complex flavour of soy sauce. This works best for dishes that don't rely on soy sauce for its flavour.

Worcestershire sauce

Another substitute for soy sauce is Worcestershire sauce. Both soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce are fermented so you still get the deep complex flavours, but Worcestershire sauce has much less sodium and no soy or gluten -- perfect for anyone looking for a gluten-friendly or low salt alternative to soy sauce. This substitution works best for dishes that use soy sauce for flavouring but not for saltiness.

Coconut aminos

Coconut aminos are made from fermented coconut tree sap (not coconuts), and taste similar to soy sauce but with almost three times lower in sodium; coconut aminos have 90 milligrams of sodium per teaspoon compared to 290 milligrams in soy sauce. Coconut aminos are also gluten-free and soy-free, perfect for those looking for an allergy-friendly soy sauce substitute. You can use coconut aminos like you would with soy sauce, although you might have to adjust the sweetness of your recipe.

Sugar substitutes

There are many ways to sweeten foods without adding sugar. Here are three natural sugar alternatives you can use instead.

Honey

Before using honey as a substitute for sugar, experiment to determine the ratio you're comfortable with. Honey is sweeter than sugar so to replace one cup of sugar, you will need ¾ cup or 255 grams of honey. You will also need to reduce the amount of liquid in your recipe by approximately ¼ cup of liquid for every cup of honey used.

Maple syrup

Maple syrup has a low glycemic index, making it the perfect diabetes-friendly sugar substitute. Maple syrup is as sweet as sugar so you can replace sugar using an equal amount of maple syrup. Just remember to decrease other liquids in your recipe by 3 tablespoons per cup of maple syrup.

Molasses

Molasses are a byproduct of the sugar refinery process, but it isn't as sweet as sugar. It has small amounts of B vitamins, calcium and iron. To replace one cup of sugar use 1⅓ cup of molasses, and reduce the amount of liquid in your recipe by about 5 tablespoons.

Milk substitutes

Milk is the key to creamier sauces and moist baked goods. If you need a substitute for milk, there are many alternatives to milk you can use in your cooking and baking.

Evaporated milk

Evaporated milk is a convenient canned pantry staple. It's basically milk with less water so it's one of the best substitutes for milk. To replace milk, mix equal parts evaporated milk and water, then replace 1 cup of milk for 1 cup of your watered down evaporated milk.

Yoghurt

Yoghurt is a great substitute for milk because it adds moisture and texture to your final product. To replace 1 cup of milk, use 1 cup of yoghurt. Just make sure you're not using flavoured yoghurt, or it will change the flavour of your final product.

Sour cream

Sour cream is like yoghurt but with a more neutral taste and without the same tanginess. To substitute 1 cup of milk, use 1 cup of sour cream.

Water

In dire circumstances, you can substitute milk with water -- but your final dish won't have the same creaminess or texture. Swapping milk for water works best if your recipe calls for less than a ¼ cup of milk, such as pie crust or cookie dough. If you're going to use water, add a tablespoon of butter for each cup of water. This will replace the fat that would have been in milk.

Oat milk

If you've got some leftover oat milk from perfecting your lockdown lattes, you already know it makes for the perfect milk substitute due to its neutral flavour and thick texture. To replace 1 cup of milk, use 1 cup of oat milk.

Soy milk

Soy milk has a neutral flavour, making it a great milk substitute for stovetop sauces and baked goods as it won't influence the final flavour of your dish. To replace 1 cup of milk, use 1 cup of soy milk.

Vegetable substitutes

Shopping in season allows to buy fresher and often cheaper produce. If a recipe calls for a vegetable that you don't have, try these options instead:

You can swap these quick cooking and less dense veggies amoung each other:

These denser veggies take longer to cook and can be easily swapped:

If you want to swap a quick-cooking vegetable for a firm vegetable or vice versa, just vary the cooking time by adding the ingredient later or earlier in your recipe.