Paula's Zucchini Bread, Lightened Up

A stick of butter here, a pound of sugar there – If Paula Deen’s cooking it, you better believe I’m eating it. As much as I love the idea of consuming my daily caloric intake in one slice of bread, when it came time to make her famous Zucchini Bread, I decided to join the list of FoodNetwork.com readers who suggested lighter versions. I substituted  unsweetened applesauce for oil (cup-for-cup), my favorite sugar substitute for the real stuff (2½ cups, instead of 3) and I adjusted the baking time to 45 minutes. The result? A moist, flavorful and unrecognizably healthy home-baked zucchini bread – no oil or butter required. Wrap up a loaf in parchment paper for the perfect hostess gift or make mini-loaves for a quick snack on-the-go.

 Tell us: What ingredients do you substitute in to lighten up your favorite recipes?