Healthier alternative to cream in cooking

[Raera]

We do like creamy sauces which is now showing in our waistlines and cholesterol levels, not dangerously so but we need to do better.
I'm going to make this for dinner
https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/smoked-mackerel-potato-bake
But want to avoid the cream, I bought some O fat greek yoghurt but think it will split/curdle. So I might try milk mixed with cornflour.
Is that a good idea, or does anyone have a better one please?

Full fat Greek yogurt, full fat cream cheese, and full fat coconut milk make good alternatives to cream for adding creaminess to dishes. However, they all need to be full-fat to give you a nice taste and texture. There’s also a handful of dishes where nothing but cream will do. It’s better, in my opinion, to have these creamy dishes less frequently but enjoy them fully. Than make a sad and disappointing imitation that misses the thing you like about the meal in the first place.

I use creme fraiche in everything that calls for cream (other than whipped cream)

I think you could probably use low fat crème fraiche in that recipe. But agree with pp that I prefer to use full fat cream occasionally and more tomato based sauces, rather than substitute yogurt etc instead of cream.

You can use evaporated milk in place of cream.

I only use full-fat products, low-fat can have all sorts of things added to them & they do split when cooked.
I like FF creme fraiche as well, mainly because it keeps better than cream.
I do agree with 1st responder, sometimes only cream will do.

Alpro soya single cream, cheaper, healthier lasts longer, tastes the same as cow cream and no calves removed from their mothers at birth 😢

A little bit of cream in a sauce isn't unhealthy unless that's all you're having. It's absolutely fine if eaten with veg and protein!

Quark. It's in the speciality cheese section in the supermarket.

Just looked at the recipe, 150 ml is a huge amount !

🙄🙄

I’ve seen videos with people using cashews to make cream.

@Raera Hope you will enjoy it with double cream !

Some of the suggestions would make it taste very odd.

I don’t digest cream, so when I add it to recipes it’s diluted with veg stock. It still confers the creamy taste without the heaviness. Or else I forgo the cream and just add (less) butter, or make a béchamel which is a halfway house.

I’ve done the cashew cream, but it does require a bit of preparation - you need to soak the cashews beforehand then blend. I made a creamy mushroom pie for my dairy intolerant friend and it did taste pretty nice.

Between four though, doesn’t seem like much to me at all.

Cashews are 42% fat so not necessarily a diet option.

Use the starchy pasta water technique to make a creamy sauce.

@Treesnbirds I agree.

I made a recipe using this today. Think it's a bit less calories and fat than single cream www.oatly.com/en-gb/stuff-we-make/cooking/creamy-oat

Reduced fat creme frais. I use it instead of cream, always.

Another vote for reduced fat centre fraiche. Works in most dishes

Low fat crème fraiche

I am not a vegan, but I use the vegan creams mentioned, oatly or alpro!

I can't tell the difference, even use alpro's custard!

It does serve 4 though.

However op there are 140 calories in just 30ml of cream and a whopping 50.5g of fat per 100ml. (15.2g in just 30ml)
High fat. Avoid these foods. Any drink with more than 8.75g fat per 100ml. Any food with more than 17.5g fat per 100g.
https://www.heartuk.org.uk/eating-for-fcs-/how-can-i-eat-less-fat-#:~:text=High%20fat,17.5g%20fat%20per%20100g.

Reporting back! I looked through the replies last night, didn't have in stock any of the suggestions but will file them away for other occasions.
I replaced the cream with 150mls of semi-skimmed milk with a heaped teaspoon of cornflour mixed in. Really good result!
Obviously not as creamy as it would have been, but no curdling and a lot less fat.