Low Fat Cooking

Low fat cooking is essential if you are trying to eliminate fat from your diet. The challenge is to keep the fat to a minimum and to obtain it from healthy sources. This recommendation is not only for those seeking to shed a few pounds, but also for your overall health and well-being. Studies suggest that keeping dietary fat low reduces the risk of heart disease, as well as certain types of cancer and diabetes. As little as a tablespoon a day will keep your body operating efficiently.

Fat is king when it comes to calories. It weighs in at a whopping nine calories per gram. Carbohydrates and protein only carry four calories per gram. Since some dietary fat is necessary, it’s wise to know which types are best. It’s no secret that there are good and bad fats.

One way to quickly identify most bad fats is to look at them. Fats that are solid at room temperature are less healthy for you than those that are liquid at room temperature. For example, butter, lard, and shortening are all either trans fats or saturated fats, both of which have been associated with heart disease and increased cholesterol levels. Saturated fats occur naturally in red meat, eggs, and in some oils such as palm oil.

Monounsaturated fats include olive, canola, and peanut oils; most nutrition experts consider olive oil one of the best dietary fats. Monounsaturated fats reduce the "bad" cholesterol (LDL) without affecting the "good" cholesterol (HDL) levels. Another type of fat is polyunsaturated which encompasses corn, soybean, and safflower oils. Polyunsaturated fat also lowers cholesterol levels, but it affects both the LDL and HDL.

Fat adds flavor to food and leaves a feel good sensation on your taste buds. To replace the flavor lost from fat, it’s important to add it back in other ways. Learn to experiment with herbs and spices.

When preparing low fat meals, it is vital that you alter your cooking methods. Steam, stir-fry, broil, bake, or sauté meats to keep fat at bay. Thanks to George Foreman, grilling indoors has become easier and less time consuming and is an excellent way to cook most any meat or fish.

Cooking bags give today’s health conscious cook an opportunity to serve moist, flavorful meat without artery clogging fat. There’s no basting and no clean up. Simply place the meat you want to cook inside one of the bags before cooking--it helps lock in the natural juices. If you are wary of plastic, you can bundle food in aluminum foil packets or in folded parchment paper for similar effect.

The smaller the bird, the leaner it is. White meat is lower in fat than dark; in addition, remove and discard skin before cooking. Savory marinades offer a bevy of options to infuse what could otherwise be a bland meal with a ton of flavor. Turkey and chicken are the optimum choices. Duck and goose are naturally fatty; save them for special occasions.

Pork and beef as part of a low fat cooking plan? You bet! They’re excellent sources of protein and iron. Because they do contain some saturated fat, keep them to a minimum, no more than 6 ounces daily. Consider using them as an enhancement and not the star of the meal. Although marbling makes a cut of meat juicier, look for cuts with very few streaks of fat.

• Use nonstick cooking spray instead of oil or butter to coat pans before cooking.
• Trim all visible fat from meat and poultry. If this task seems a little daunting, have your store’s butcher do it for you. This is usually a free service.
• Drain fat from cooked meats.
• Try chicken or turkey sausage and bacon.
• Have at least one meatless meal a week.
• Up the ante on complex carbohydrates by eating more beans and whole grains.
• Substitute full fat dairy products for fat free ones.
• Oven fry potatoes instead of deep-frying.
• Use mashed pinto beans to moisten and extend ground meats for burgers and meatloaf.
• Use chicken stock in sauces or as a braising liquid to add flavor.
• Use herbs, spices, chutneys, and salsas to jazz up your meals.
• When baking, replace some of the fat with applesauce, pureed prunes(small jars of baby food work well), or nonfat yogurt.
• Reduced fat or fat-free cheese can be substituted for full fat ones, or use a very small amount of a more intensely flavored one like a sharp cheddar or parmesan.
• Top cakes or other desserts with fresh fruit instead of icing.

It’s not difficult to get used to different cooking methods. Once you begin to reap the health benefits, low-fat cooking will be easy. Your family will thank you for it.

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