Marie Spano, MS, RD/LD recommends Eggland's Best eggs over regular eggs for better nutrition.

Simple Swaps For Delicious & Nutritious Meals

If you are like millions of Americans, you live on the run and therefore need easy meals and snacks that taste good and give your family members the energy they need to power through long days. And, with a few simple ingredient swaps you can make a variety of dishes and snacks that are both nutrient-rich, lower in fat and calories and portable. moreHere are a few of my favorite ingredient swaps for quick meals on the go:

Applesauce (unsweetened)

Applesauce is naturally sweet and has the perfect consistency for replacing oil or butter in breads, muffins and some cakes. Substitute applesauce on a one for one basis with oil up to ½ cup. So for instance, if your recipe calls for 1/3 cup oil, substitute 1/3 cup applesauce. If a recipe calls for ½ cup or more, substitute only half of the oil for applesauce (use ¼ cup oil and ¼ cup applesauce). Applesauce can also be used to sweeten sauces, casseroles and salads (mix it into a dressing). Muffins are both portable and can withstand weather extremes.

Oatmeal

Replace breadcrumbs with oatmeal and you'll cut calories and sodium while adding fiber and B vitamins. Like breadcrumbs, oatmeal provides bulk and texture in dishes such as meatloaf and it also makes a great crunchy topping for chicken cutlets or fish. Cook turkey meatloaf in advance and freeze it in individual plastic bags for a grab and go lunch and dinner.

Use Better Eggs

Swap out regular eggs and egg substitutes for Eggland's Best. With 25% less saturated fat, more than twice the amount of omega 3 fats and vitamin D as well as 10 times the vitamin E content of regular eggs (all are nutrients many Americans do not get enough of from their typical diet) you are automatically boosting the nutrition profile of your snacks and meals by using Eggland's Best. And, don't throw out that yolk! Eggland's Best egg yolks contain 35% more lutein than typical eggs. Lutein and zeaxanthin are the two antioxidants that are found in the retina of your eye helping with eye functioning. In addition, the yolk contains choline, a nutrient important for brain health and taming inflammation in the body.

Vegetable "fillers"

Where possible, substitute some of the meat or other ingredients with vegetables or just ramp up the total amount of veggies in your recipe. Doing this automatically cuts calories while improving the overall nutrition value of your dish. So for instance, Homemade Mac n' cheese is typically packed with butter and full-fat cheese topped enriched macaroni noodles. Lighten this up, make it seasonal and make it better for your family by using cubed butternut squash for 1/3 to ½ of the cheese. Cube it, cook it for 20 minutes on the stovetop in skim milk and then blend it and add the cheese for a brilliantly beautiful sauce for your noodles.

Trade in Full Fat Dairy for Light Dairy

Cut the fat and calories in cheese by using light cheese or pick very flavorful cheeses and you'll need less in your recipe (such as pecorino or authentic Parmesan). In addition to substituting full fat dairy for lighter dairy ingredients, you can also replace mayonnaise and sour cream with Greek yogurt, which has a thick, rich texture yet far fewer calories and more protein.

What about meals on the go? I grab high protein snacks including Eggland's Best Hard-Cooked Peeled Eggs and individual Greek yogurt containers to keep me full for a longer period of time. When you just can't wait for your next meal, go ahead and eat, but opt for superior nutrition and the staying power of protein! Just pack these with some ice packs in a padded lunch bag and you won't have to stop your day to find a healthy snack.