1. Prepare fat-free marinades and sauces (for meats and vegetables) with fruit and vegetable juices, lemon juice, vinegar, nonfat yogurt or fat-free broth seasoned with herbs and spices.
2. Brown ground beef. Pour hot water over it to remove as much as 50% of the fat. Drain and season the meat. Use to prepare tacos, meat sauces and casseroles.
3. Choose lean cuts and Select or Choice grades of meat. Trim visible fat. Roast
meat or poultry on a rack or any other way to allow the fat to drip off. Serve
cooked poultry without the skin.
4. To prepare lowfat gravy, combine flour with fat-free broth (2 Tbs. flour per cup of broth) or bouillon. Mix cornstarch and skim milk to make a lowfat cream sauce for pasta or vegetables.
5. Substitute lowfat or fat-free mayonnaise, sour cream or yogurt for regular versions in dips, salad dressings, sauces, salads and backed goods.
6. In baking, substitute fruit purees or applesauce for some of the oil used in recipes. In muffins and breads, replace some of the fat and liquid with plan, nonfat yogurt. Serve spreads like fruit better or preserves, jam, jelly, “diet” margarine or fat-free cream cheese.
7. Reduce the amount of meat in casseroles, salads, soups and stews, and add beans,
pasta or rice instead. Serve more meatless dishes like wraps filled with vegetables
and lowfat cheese.
8. Replace whole milk with 1% lowfat or skim milk in puddings, soups, sauces, and
baked goods. Use lowfat cheeses in casseroles, tacos, pizza, and salad.
9. Prepare soups, sauces, and stews in advance. Refrigerate and skim the hard fat
layer off the top before reheating.
10. Instead of frying: Bake, broil, boil, roast, grill, sauté, poach, steam or microwave foods like meats, fish, poultry, and vegetables. Use non-stick cookware or nonfat vegetable cooking sprays.
11. Heat cooking oil before adding food, so it absorbs less oil. Cut meat and
vegetables into small, uniform pieces to sauté faster. Do not add vegetable oil to
the cooking water for pasta.
12. Reduce fat or vegetable oil in recipes by one third.
13. Top baked potatoes with lowfat and nonfat cheese or sour cream, plan nonfat
yogurt or salsa.
14. In desserts, replace nuts with Grape-Nuts cereal, lowfat granola, raisins, dates or other dried fruits.
15. Substitute lean ham or Canadian bacon for pork bacon or sausage. Use a mixture of ground skinless turkey breast and lean ground beef to make tacos, meatballs,
burgers and meatloaf. Serve canned fish packed in water, not oil
All of these tips are easy modifiable ideas that can hopefully help you keep off those extra pounds this year.
Until next time!
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Thank you for the tips! I have substituted applesauce several times and it works great for most recipes. Now I want to try out the grapenuts idea. Thanks!
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