Egg substitute – Flaxseeds or chia seeds. In bowl, add 3 tablespoons very hot water (not boiling) to 1 tablespoon freshly-ground flax seed or chia seeds. Stir and let sit for 10 – 15 minutes. This will replace 1 egg. Since eggs are said to be, “Nature’s almost perfect food,” I personally only substitute if my recipe will be eaten by someone who is allergic to eggs. I grind my flaxseeds in a Melitta Coffee Grinder.
Flaxseed – Freshly-ground flaxseed can also be substituted for oil when baking. Use 3 times the amount called for in a recipe. When a recipe calls for ¼ cup oil use ¾ cup freshly-ground flaxseed. Grind fresh whenever possible for best health benefit. I use my Melitta Coffee Grinder for this. 3/4 cup of seeds will grind into approximately 1 1/4 cups.
Flour– White all-purpose flour has little to no nutritional benefit.
Gluten Free – When making a gluten-free recipe, please make certain that all ingredients listed are gluten free. Pamela’s Baking and Pancake Mix is gluten-free and my favorite substitution for white flour.
Maple Syrup – Always, always, always REAL maple syrup.
Milk – My recipes will call for raw milk, but store-bought pasteurized/homogenized milk will work.
Oat Flour – Since I only use small amounts of oat flour, I make mine fresh from oats/groats or steel-cut oats. I love my Melitta Coffee Grinder for grinding small amounts of herbs and soft grains like oats. A slightly heaping 1/2 cup of oats/groats or steel-cut oats will grind into about 3/4 cup oat flour.
Oil – When a recipe calls for vegetable oil, I use freshly ground flaxseed 3 to 1, butter, ghee or coconut oil. If a recipe calls for ¼ cup vegetable oil, I use ¾ cup freshly-ground flax seed. Please note that Coconut oil can sometimes negatively change the flavor.
Salt – When my recipe calls for Himalayan salt, please use slightly less if you’re using table salt.
Sour Cream – Homemade Greek yogurt is a great substitute for sour cream.
Stevia – I personally don’t use stevia in baking or cooking. Please keep in mind that stevia is a green herb; if it is white, it is processed. I grow my own stevia, but when I’ve run out, I’ve used NuNatural.
Sugar – I try to be creative and use anything except white, refined sugar. My personal favorites are: muscovado, maple syrup, raw honey, jaggery, coconut palm sugar and raisins/dates. Some of these can change the taste in a recipe and will not even be noticeable in other recipes. If you do not like the way these sweeteners change the taste of your recipe, Organic Evaporated Cane Juice can be substituted for any recipe that calls for sugar.
Yogurt – Homemade yogurt is delicious and easy to make. When strained into Greek yogurt, the leftover whey can be used to ferment vegetables.