Eating healthier can be a challenge when your on a budget but if you pay attention to the sales, buy fresh fruit and vegetable in season and substitute simple ingredients in your recipes you can create cheap family meals that are healthy.

Here is a list of some of my favorite simple substitutions:

Eggs/Oil

You can substitute the oil in your favorite recipe with applesauce. For egg allergies (or if you just ran out like me most the time) applesauce can replace the eggs. Applesauce also gives a sweeter flavor when used so for famous oatmeal cake with broiled frosting, now you have sugar and spice with everything nice in it.

Butter

Butter tastes delicious but it just to expensive for my monthly food budget. You can substitute butter with margarine, vegetable oil or of course applesauce in baking recipes.

Whole Milk/Cream

A healthier alternative is to substitute with skim milk.

Cheese

If your recipe calls for Cheddar, Swiss or American cheese, a healthier option can include choosing a low fat cheese or a Mozzarella cheese.

Meat

You can substitute ground beef in your meals with ground turkey for a healthier dish.

Cream Cheese

Use a non fat cream cheese or Neufchatel cheese as a simple substitution.

Baking Chocolate

Simply substitute 3 Tbsp. cocoa powder plus 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil per 1oz. of chocolate as recipe requires.

So if your preparing your dream dinner or favorite  dessert simple substituting can be a healthy alternative to any family meal. And don’t forget to watch your local grocery store sales for better bargains on healthier food items.