10 Healthy Substitutes for Heavy Cream
Making restaurant-like dishes at home is a rewarding experience, but you may also need to look at your calorie intake. One common ingredient used to enhance the dish is heavy cream. It is a high-fat dairy product used for making cakes, pastries, beverages, and soups. It is commonly used to enrich the flavor and maintain the consistency of the food. However, if you are concerned about the calories, you may want to find some low-fat heavy cream substitutes.
This article discusses common reasons for replacing the heavy cream and ten healthy alternatives you can use for heavy whipping cream.
Why Use Heavy Cream Substitutes?
Heavy cream contains a lot of saturated fats and calories and also has a huge portion of your calorie intake for the food. If you are on a particular diet or if you have high cholesterol, then you must look after the number of calories in your food. Heavy cream adds a lot of calories to your dish and hence you should look for healthy heavy cream substitutes.
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A single tablespoon (15 g) of the heavy cream adds up to 52 calories and 5 to 6 grams of total fat. One cup (120 g) of heavy cream contains 160 to 300 milligrams of cholesterol, which is way more than the recommended daily intake.
Heavy Cream Nutrition for 1 Tbsp (Credit Fatsecret Website)
Heavy Cream Nutrition for 1 Cup (Credit Fatsecret Website)
It is evident that heavy whipping cream is not good for people with cardiac disorders, obesity, diabetes, and hypertension. Well, heavy cream does contain other healthy nutrients like vitamins A and D, some good fats and many small amounts of other vitamins, but you can get these from other foods too.
Heavy Cream Vs. Whipping Cream
Heavy cream and whipping have a lot in same, but there is a little difference which makes both of them two different entities. The only difference between the two is the milk fat content that they both contain. Heavy cream has 36 to 40% of the fat content whereas whipping cream as 30% of it, which is why heavy cream holds its shape a bit longer than whipping cream.
Heavy Cream Vs. Half Half
Here again, the difference between these two of the very similar creams is the fat content. In half half, there is an equal amount of whole milk and light cream mixed well, and it contains 10 to 12% of fat content which is far less than heavy cream. Hence it is seen that heavy cream contains the most amount of fat among all creams and that summarizes how dangerous it can be to our health and how much we should try to avoid it.
All of the above does not mean that we can’t have food with heavy cream as an ingredient in them. It is much better to look for substitutes for heavy cream and enjoy delicious food. So here are some
Top 10 Healthy Heavy Cream Substitutes
1. Milk and Butter
If you are no pro and want to have it the simple way, this is for you. Milk and butter are one of the simple heavy cream substitutes, and the ingredients used are readily available in your kitchen.
- Take 1/3rd cup of unsalted butter and melt it
- Take 3/4th cup of low-fat milk
- Add one tablespoon of flour to it
- Whisk well
2. Greek Yogurt
Greek yogurt is considered healthier than usual yogurt, and you can also use it as a heavy cream substitute. Add some Greek yogurt to milk and mix well, add a little bit of heavy cream to give it thickness. While using it for cheesecake, keep in mind that you maintain the temperature low as it may cause the yogurt to curdle.
3. Low-Fat Cream Cheese
The low-fat cream cheese can be used in sauces and soups as it gives you similar consistency at the cost of less fat and calories. Use half a cup of low-fat cream cheese for one cup of heavy cheese and always keep in mind to avoid using this for sweet dishes because it is sour in taste.
4. Cottage Cheese and Milk
You can make this heavy cream substitute by mixing same amounts of cottage cheese and non-fat milk powder or skim milk. Stir the mixture well until you get a perfect consistency.
5. Skim Milk and Cornstarch
Skim milk and cornstarch is an easy-to-make heavy cream substitute. Mix two tablespoons of cornstarch to one cup of skim milk and stir it well until the mixture thickens.
6. Tofu and Soy Milk
Tofu and soy milk mix is the best vegan substitute for heavy cream. This low-fat, high-protein combination is considered highly nutritious. Blend tofu and unflavored soy milk together to get the perfect substitute for heavy cream. Tofu and soy milk can serve as a healthy substitute for heavy cream in the pasta sauce.
7. Cashews
Allergic to dairy products? If you are looking for a non-dairy substitute for heavy whipping cream, cashews are the best option. Mix a cup of cashews in a cup of water and blend them well with an electric blender. Blend until you get a smooth mixture. To get a thicker paste add more cashews than water and also, you can replace cashews with almonds to increase its nutritional value.
8. Coconut Cream
Coconut cream can be obtained by leaving coconut milk for half an hour to settle. A thick layer of coconut cream would appear at the surface which can be used as a non-dairy heavy cream substitute.
9. Oats Supreme
Oats Supreme is one of the healthiest heavy cream substitutes and highly recommended for vegans. A major problem with heavy cream replacements is always that they don’t give the same level of consistency. Oats Supreme makes a good choice in that way, as it gives you the best consistency amongst others.
10. Evaporated Milk and Vanilla Extract
The combination of evaporated milk and vanilla extract is a perfect replacement for heavy cream. Adding vanilla extract increases the taste and enhances the flavor of the milk. You can use this option for making sauces and soups.
You can also use this heavy cream substitute in frosting cupcakes and cakes. Moreover, this alternative for heavy whipping cream can also be used on the ice cream as a topping.
Choose Wise and Stay Healthier
Everything that tastes great is not always great for your health and so is heavy cream. Planning the diet wisely can help you cut those extra calories and still enjoy your food.
You can find substitutes for all your favorite foods that are causing you problems, and heavy cream is one of them. Taking care of your body is always important because if you’re wasting health, you lose a big part of your life, so take up the alternatives and stay healthy.
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