{"id":147305,"date":"2025-03-21T08:04:57","date_gmt":"2025-03-21T08:04:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/recipes\/category-a-b\/budget-food\/swap-for-real-food-ingredients-cheapskate-cook\/"},"modified":"2025-03-21T08:04:57","modified_gmt":"2025-03-21T08:04:57","slug":"swap-for-real-food-ingredients-cheapskate-cook","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=147305","title":{"rendered":"Swap for Real Food Ingredients \u2022 Cheapskate Cook"},"content":{"rendered":"


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How to Substitute for Frugal, Real Food Ingredients. As my family transitioned to real food, we swapped many ingredients for baking with healthier substitutes. Here are some tips I\u2019ve found extremely valuable.<\/p>\n

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When I was 12, my mom was basically terrified of the teenage years. She told me that she almost didn\u2019t have children because that\u2019s practically a guarantee that you\u2019ll have to live with teenagers. Best preteen pep-talk ever. No pressure, kid.<\/span><\/p>\n

She did her best, and thankfully, I was a fairly benign teenager. I spent hours reading classic literature, debating theology and Star Wars trivia, spilled only a few tears over boys, and attended zero wild parties (you hear that, mom? I just told the internet, so it must be true). <\/span><\/p>\n

I think every generation tries to improve upon the last. When I was growing up, holiday baking meant vegetable oil, shortening, and white sugar. Meanwhile my kids called M&Ms \u201cbeans\u201d until they were 6 years old. <\/span><\/p>\n

Maybe you grew up with a lot of classic holiday treats, but you wonder how they fit into a healthier, more frugal lifestyle. As my family transitioned to real food, we swapped a lot of ingredients with more natural substitutes. <\/span><\/p>\n

Here are some tips I found extremely valuable:<\/strong><\/p>\n

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At this point, most of us know whole grains are better than the white all\u00ad-purpose stuff. If you\u2019re new to whole grains, you need to know a few things:<\/span><\/p>\n

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  1. There are several kinds of whole wheat available at stores:<\/strong> \u201cRed Wheat\u201d and \u201cWhite Wheat\u201d are the basic options. Red is darker with a heartier flavor, and white is lighter and more like the all\u00ad-purpose flour we\u2019re used to. If you have a choice, you want white wheat for desserts.<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Store-bought whole wheat is denser than all-\u00adpurpose<\/strong> and may change the texture of your cookies more than you like. You can go halfsies and use part white and part whole wheat. That being said, I know people (we\u2019re some of them) who now crave the flavor and heartiness of whole grain and no longer care for gluey, white flour cookies. However, change requires, you know, change<\/em>, so be patient with yourself and your eaters.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Tip:<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    If you\u2019re serious about whole grains, you may want a grain mill<\/a>\u00a0(that\u2019s an affiliate link, which means I receive a small compensation if you make a purchase using the links. You can view my full <\/i>disclosure policy here<\/i><\/a>).\u00a0\u00a0<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

    I recommend seeing if a friend has one and trying it out before investing in it yourself. Freshly ground grains are much lighter and some say are more nutritious than pre\u00ad-ground flour<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

    While the grain mill is an investment, it was my FIRST big kitchen appliance purchase. Using freshly ground grains is one of the most frugal and kid-friendly ways to eat real food.<\/span><\/p>\n

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    These bars work great with little-to-no sweetener. Click the photo to get the recipe.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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    I like experimenting with healthier sweeteners, and I make natural sweeteners fit in our budget by making fewer desserts (which is obviously better for us anyway), and shopping for the best prices.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Here\u2019s how I save money and eat better with natural sweeteners \u2013 plus which ones I use most often.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

    How to Bake with Honey (or Maple Syrup)<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    Using honey or maple syrup instead of white sugar is easy. Try these tips:<\/span><\/p>\n