Why ingredient substitution makes sense
Help reduce food waste and save yourself some cash by using ingredients you already have at home – here’s some tips, tricks and help in what you can swap like-for-like for different ingredients.
Jump straight to our food swap table
Remember – you’re cooking for you – so treat the recipes as a guide or recommendation – not a wardrobe instruction manual that you have to follow to the letter.
“Like for Like” Swap List
Here are main food-groups and then practical examples of comparable swaps you can make.
1. Vegetables & Root/Other Veg
Vegetables are hugely versatile, so this is one of the richest areas for swapping.
Carrots (root vegetable)
- Ideal same-colour root option: sweet potatoes, butternut squash.
- Second-best: other root vegetables such as parsnips, turnips, celeriac (celery-root).
- Example: if recipe calls for carrots in a roast veg tray, you could use sweet potato chunks or cubed butternut squash (same cooking time in many cases).
- Many guides list starchy roots interchangeably: sweet potato, yam, squash, etc.
Onion / Garlic / Aromatics
- If you don’t have a yellow onion: use a white onion or a red onion (mind colour/flavour).
- Shallots can substitute for onion (milder).
- Leek or green onion (scallion) might work depending on recipe (texture a little different).
- Garlic alternative: shallot + a bit more of it, or garlic powder if fresh missing (adjust flavour strength).
Leafy greens / salad greens / cooking greens
- Spinach → Swiss chard, kale (if you’re cooking it).
- Lettuce (for salad) → mixed salad greens, arugula (rocket), baby spinach.
- In stir-fry: bok choy → napa cabbage → choy sum even sliced lettuce (yes, you can cook lettuce!)
Other vegetables
- Courgette → yellow squash oraubergine
- Bell pepper → another colour of bell pepper (still pepper) or mild chilli (if flavour ok)
- Broccoli → cauliflower
- Tomatoes (fresh) → canned tomatoes / passata (if cooking) – many menus swap fresh vs canned.
2. Grains, Starches & Pasta / Rice
Rice
- White rice → brown rice (longer cook time though)
- If you don’t have rice: use quinoa, couscous, bulgur, barley (depending on dish)
- Note: if rice is a side dish maybe try swapping for noodles instead.
Pasta
- Regular wheat pasta → whole-grain pasta or spelt pasta (if available).
- If you’re really missing pasta: you might use rice noodles, soba, egg noodles or at a push boiled potato cubes!
Bread / wraps / crackers
- Bread → wraps, pita, rolls (for sandwiches)
- Crumbs: if you need breadcrumbs and have none, you might blitz a slice of bread or use crushed crackers/pretzels.
Flour / thickening agents
- Plain/wheat flour → oat flour, rice flour (for some uses)
- Cornstarch → arrowroot (for thickening) etc.
3. Proteins: Meat, Poultry, Fish, Legumes
Meat/Poultry/Fish
- Beef mince → pork mince or chicken mince (if you’re ok with change in flavour)
- Chicken breast → chicken thigh (skinless) or turkey breast
- Fish: if recipe calls for say cod, you could use haddock or pollock (white fish) depending on availability. Frozen fish in curries, stews, pies works out cheaper.
- If you want a meatless version: swap meat for legumes (beans, lentils), or tofu/tempeh.
Red meat ↔ Poultry swap caveats
- Red meat has stronger flavour, richer fat; poultry is milder. When you swap, you might adjust seasoning.
- Respect cooking times: poultry may cook faster, fish much faster.
Fish ↔ Vegetarian protein
- If you’re out of fish: canned tuna → canned salmon or sardines or even chickpeas (depending on dish)
4. Dairy & Milk Alternatives
Milk / Cream
- Whole milk → low-fat milk (for general use)
- Heavy cream → evaporated milk, or yogurt + some milk (for cooking) + just whole milk or even coconut milk in a can.
Cheese / Yogurt / Sour Cream
- Sour cream → plain Greek yogurt (for tang)
- Full-fat cheese → reduced-fat version (flavour may differ)
- Milk alternative: cow’s milk → soy milk, oat milk, almond milk
5. Fats, Oils & Cooking Mediums
- Butter → olive oil or vegetable oil for sautéing
- If recipe calls for one oil but you only have another: swap, but mind smoke point/flavour.
6. Legumes, Nuts & Seeds
- If recipe calls for chickpeas → white beans (cannellini) or lentils or any other beans in a can will work.
- Nuts: you can usually swap these interchangeably for any other nuts
- Seeds: flaxseed meal → chia seeds, etc.
7. Herbs, Spices & Flavourings
- Fresh herbs – use dried herbs
- Hard herbs – like rosemary, thyme, sage you can swap and stick to the recipe method without change.
- Soft herbs – coriander, parsley, tarragon, basil – you can swap these and recipe method wont change; the flavour will be a bit different.
- If one spice missing: you might combine others to approximate flavour (e.g., ½ tsp cinnamon + ½ tsp nutmeg if allspice missing)
- Citrus juice (lemon) → vinegar (for tang) depending on recipe.
8. Just leave it out!
- Sometimes you can just simply leave it out – if a curry recipe for instance wants to include spinach and you don’t have any (and don’t want to buy any) – just leave it out!