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What no potatoes?! Handy swaps for a missing ingredient

Nicole Toia,

With the price of many everyday foods on the rise, you may have noticed that a favourite ingredient is now more expensive than usual or perhaps not even available. Luckily there is often a simple substitute! 

There is nothing to stop you getting creative and changing an existing family favourite to make use of what’s available. You can usually swap proteins (e.g., lamb for chicken or tofu), starches (e.g. pasta for rice or cous cous) and use vegies which you may not have tried before. You might be surprised at how good the new version is!

Before you swap any ingredients it’s helpful to understand what role they play in a dish and find something similar that works the same way. See our article one different roles of food here. 

Tip: Don’t try baking swaps if you’re not an experienced baker. Baking is more complex and swaps don’t work as well as they can in an evening meal.

How to adapt a recipe and swap out ingredients

Fruity Muffins

  • olive or canola oil spray
  • 1 1/2 cups self-raising flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda (bicarbonate)
  • 1 tbs caster sugar
  • 1/2 cup bran sticks (e.g. AllbranTM)
  • 1/2 cup rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup sultanas
  • 1 apple, core removed and diced, skin left on
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk
  • 1 egg
  • 2 ripe bananas, mashed

If you have run out of:

  • self-raising flour SWAP FOR plain flour plus extra baking soda
  • sultanas SWAP FOR  dates, dried cranberries or dried apricots
  • apple SWAP FOR pears
  • buttermilk SWAP FOR milk or yoghurt.
  • caster sugar SWAP FOR honey

Zucchini muffins

  • 2 zucchinis, grated and squeezed of extra moisture
  • 1 carrot, grated
  • 125 g can reduced-salt corn kernels, drained
  • 1 small red onion
  • 1 cup baby spinach leaves, chopped
  • 1 cup wholemeal self-raising flour
  • 6 eggs, beaten
  • 1 cup reduced-fat cheddar cheese

If you have run out of:

  • carrot SWAP FOR grated sweet potato
  • tinned corn SWAP FOR frozen peas or diced red capsicum
  • baby spinach SWAP FOR frozen spinach
  • reduced fat cheddar cheese SWAP FOR for feta cheese or sundried tomato

Zucchini and corn fritters

  • 1 medium zucchini, grated
  • 2 small red capsicums, seeded and diced
  • 1 x 400 g can reduced-salt corn kernels, drained
  • 2 spring onions (including green tops), chopped
  • 1/2 cup basil leaves, chopped
  • 1 cup reduced-fat cheddar cheese
  • pepper
  • 3/4 cup self-raising flour
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/2 cup reduced-fat milk
  • olive or canola oil spray
  • 2 avocados, diced
  • 1 large tomato, diced
  • juice of 1 lime
  • 1/4 cup basil leaves, chopped

If you have run out of:

  • zucchini SWAP FOR for carrot or grate the broccoli or cauliflower stem (yes you can eat this part!)
  • capsicum SWAP FOR tomato or sweet potato
  • spring onions SWAP FOR red onion or leave out
  • cheddar cheese SWAP FOR feta
  • reduced fat milk SWAP FOR creamed corn
  • fresh basil SWAP FOR coriander, chives, dried parsley or dried basil or add curry powder or paste
  • corn kernels SWAP FOR frozen peas

Whilst adapting recipes, make sure you are tasting along the way! Try asking yourself if it needs to be sweeter, saltier, more acidic, or more savoury and adjust as needed. 

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