Less cholesterol by substituting for egg

March 25th, 2007         Email This Post Email This Post       

This articles is based on FoodSubs.com and TheCookingInn.com, modified for health and your reading ease. 

An egg yolk contains around 200mg of cholesterol. It is recommended not to get more than 200-400mg/day. However, all animal products including milk, cheese, chicken and meat (with the exception of skim-milk and products from it) contain cholesterol. So how can you avoid the cholesterol in egg? Here are some handy substitutions, try them and see what works the best.

  • For scrambling and making omelets
    • Egg whites- A good combination is two egg whites for every egg yolk.
    • Silken tofu – This works best with crumbled firm or extra firm tofu. It helps to add lots of seasonings like onions, mushrooms, nutritional yeast or cheese, and herbs. One egg = 1/4 cup tofu.
  • If Egg is for it’s liquid only – If the egg is the main liquid ingredient.
    • Liquid – Two tablespoons per egg of any liquid, like juice, milk or soy milk, will do just fine.
    • Banana, Apple Sauce, Pureed Fruit- for each egg: 1/2 of a mashed banana, 1/4 cup apple sauce or pureed fruit. These add moisture to the recipe, so they might require longer baking time.
  • If egg is for binding – If the recipe has one egg but a fair amount of baking powder or soda, or if there are no other components in the recipe that would be able to hold the other ingredients together, like bread crumbs, nuts, flour, etc.
    • Banana- 1/2 of a mashed banana for each egg.
    • Liquid- Try blending two ounces of silken or soft tofu per egg with the liquid in the recipe.
    • Arrowroot, soy flour – One tablespoon of arrowroot or soy flour and two tablespoons water mixed together.
    • A mixture of 2 tablespoons flour, two tablespoons water, ½ (half) tablespoon oil and ½ (half) teaspoon baking powder.
  • If Egg is for Leavening – If there are no other rising agents.
    • Add an extra half teaspoon of baking powder per egg. To avoid a bitter final product, limit the amount of baking powder or baking soda to one teaspoon per cup of flour.
    • An acidic liquid, e.g. buttermilk or thinned and beaten yogurt for the liquid required in the recipe.
    • Add air to lighten by creaming together the sweetener and the fat before adding dry ingredients.
    • Whip the liquid ingredients together in a food processor for 30-45 seconds.
  • As a glue for breading
    • Milk – Crumbs won’t stick as well; consider refrigerating the breaded food for about an hour before cooking to improve adhesion.
  • Other miscellaneous substitutions for baking
    • Egg whites- Two egg whites for each whole egg. This substitution may make baked goods less tender. To compensate, try adding 1 teaspoon of oil per egg called for in recipe.
    • Banana - 1/2 of a mashed ripe banana and 1/4 teaspoon baking powder for each egg
    • Apple Sauce- 1/4 cup apple sauce for each egg called for in a sweet, baked recipe.
    • Gelatin – For each egg: Dissolve 1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin in 1 tablespoon cold water, then add 2 tablespoons boiling water. Beat vigorously until frothy.
    • Cornstarch – Substitute 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 3 tablespoons water for each egg called for in recipe. Seems good for Fit for Life diets
    • Silken tofu – 1/4 cup tofu for each egg.
    • Fruit-based fat substitutes – Substitute 2 tablespoons fat substitute for each egg in recipe.
    • 1 egg = 2 tablespoons liquid + 2 tablespoons flour + ½ tablespoon shortening + ½ teaspoon baking powder (Recipe from Epstein, Becky Sue and Hilary Dole Klein, Substituting Ingredients. Add one or two drops of yellow food coloring if desired.)

Other tips from the TheCookingInn:

Other Tips For Light, Eggless Baking:
Successful eggless baking will be more successful if you don’t take for granted the type of flour you use. For example, whole wheat flour contains gluten, which can make a chewy end product.
Try replacing some of the whole wheat flour with whole wheat pastry flour or any other flour that doesn’t contain gluten, like brown rice flour, buckwheat flour, soy flour, corn flour, millet flour, amaranth flour, or quinoa flour. Keep in mind, however, that gluten helps baked goods rise, and substituting with a low-gluten flour may not always work.

For egg-based recipes such as quiches and custards, however, the substitutes should be used for only half of the eggs. And the fat that’s added prevents them from working in recipes calling for beaten whites, such as meringues and souffles.

Note: To maintain the integrity of your recipe, you shouldn’t try to replace more than two eggs.

And just a reminder, you do not need any cholesterol in your diet. The body makes its own.

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Posted in Cholesterol, Healthy choices