Handy Info.

These are things I've found to try...just handy little "helps".  I haven't tried all of them, but they sounded pretty good to me.

When you need:

cake flour - use all-purpose flour and to every cup of flour add 2 Tblsp. cornstarch
buttermilk - "Soured" milk.  To every 1 cup of whole milk, add 1 Tblsp. lemon juice or white
                     vinegar. (I have done this, and I didn't even use whole milk)
Superfine sugar - Process granulated sugar in a blender or food processor until powdery,
                            about 1 minute.
Confectioners' sugar - To every 1 cup superfine sugar, add 2 Tblsp. cornstarch
Light-brown sugar or dark brown sugar - To every 1 cup granulated sugar, add 1 Tblsp.
                      light molasses or 2 Tblsp. dark molasses.

Smart Substitutions:

Butter - (In fudgy brownies and bars) Replace half the amount of butter with either prune
             or pumpkin purees.
oil - (In quick breads and muffins) Replace 1/4 of the amount of oil called for with
             applesauce or apple butter.
sugar - (In sweetened desserts) If you lower the amount of sugar in a cake, cookie, or quick
            bread recipe, you may significantly change the texgture.  Instead, reduce sugar in
            recipes where sugar is used to sweeten, such as crisps and cobblers.
flour - (In breads and cookies) If a recipe calls for all-purpose flour, replace 1/4 to 1/2 of
           the amount with whole wheat flour (in bread recipes) or whole wheat (soft white
           wheat) pastry flour (in cookie recipes).
eggs - Use EGG WHITES or REFRIGERATED OR FROZEN EGG PRODUCT in place
          of some or all of the eggs in a recipe (2 egg whites = 1 egg).

Label Claims:

All Natural -
 Consumer demand for natural foods is rising, prompting food companies to use the label "all natural" on as many products as possible.  The Food and Drug Administration hasn't defined "all natural", but it allows thee label on foods that contain no added color, artificial flavors, or synthetic substances.  However, the FDA does not regulate the term, so it can appear on products made with artificial sweeteners, genetically modified foods, and other not-so-natural ingredients.  Remember, even if the product claims to have all natural ingredients, that doesn't necessarily mean it's nutritious.

Live and Active Cultures -
As consumers learn more about probiotics, beneficial bacteria that promote digestive health, they want these live and active cultures in their yogurt.  The National Yogurt Association created the Live & Active Cultures seal to help consumers identify products with these bacteria.  Because scientists aren't sure how much of these cultures need to be eaten to benefit health, it's best not to assume that a container of yogurt with live and active cultures will really improve digestive health.  However, yogurt is still a healthful food, especially yogurt without added sugars or artificial sweeteners.

Made With Whole Grains -
The words "made with" are your clue that the product probably contains very little whole grains.  Check the ingredients and you'll likely see just one whole grain listed along with refined white flour.  The "made with" wording is a sneaky way to lead you to believe the product is made with 100% whole grains.  To avoid being fooled, look for the word "whole" on all of the grains listed in the ingredient panel.  And when possible, choose the product that clearly states "100%whole grain."

0 Grams Trans Fat -
Trans fats are considered worse for health than saturated fats, so many products no longer contain them.  But check ingredient panels carefully to be sure.  Even if the product claims to have zero grams of trans fats, it could still have small amounts.  The FDA allows this claim on products having less than 0.5 gram trans fat per serving.  To meet this rule, companies can shrink the serving size.  If you eat several servings, then you're getting high levels of trans fats.  To spot trans fatss, look for the words "hydrogenated" or "partially hydrogenated" in the ingredient list and steer clear.

Rich In Omega-3 Fatty Acids -
Omega-3 fatty acids are healthy fats that are beneficial for the brain, nervous system, and heart health.  These fats are now being added to orange juice, cereal, milk, eggs, and other foods.  The oega-3 fats in fortified foods often come from flaxseeds, flaxseed oil, and other plant-base sources.  Our bodies don't use plant sources of omega-3s as efficiently as omega-3s from animals (fatty fish, for example), so you're not getting a lot of these healthy fats from fortified foods.  If you're trying to eat more omega-3 fats, choose salmon, tuna, or other fatty fish for omega-3s that are better absorbed.

Made With Real Fruit -
This phrase is used on a variety of foods aimed at kids, including fruit drinks, fruit-flavor candies, and fruit-filled bars and cookies.  Don't be fooled!  Therre's no FDA regulation of this term. To use it, products don't have to contain  a minimum amount of fruit.  If you see this term on a product, check the ingredients - you may find little to no real fruit.  Instead, you might see fruit flavors, added sugars, and artificial colors.  If so, skip the fake fruit product and head to the produce department to buy the real deal.

No Sugar Added -
The key word here is "added".  Products can make this claim if there werre no sugars added during processing.  That doesn't mean the product is sugar-free.  It may contain ingredients that have natgurally occurring sugars (such as lactose in ice cream) that were not added during processing.  The product might also have artificial sweeteners or sugar alcohol.  And "no added sugar" does not mean the product is low in calories or fat.  Also beware of any products labeled "low sugar".  This term is not defined by the FDA, so it's technically not allowed on packaging because it could be misleading.

No High Fructose Corn Syrup -
With all of the negative media about high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), it's been taken out of many products.  But when HFCS is removed, it's often replaced with another sweetener such as sugar, artificial sweeteners, and /or agave syrup.  Agave is promoted as a natural sweetener, but it's highly processed and has even more fructose than HFCS.  To avoid the confusion of trying to choose which sweetener to use, pick foods that are naturally lower in sugar.