Easy Tips To Cook Foods That Are Low Fat
September 29, 2009 Filed under Diet
Low fat cooking can be a great way to change your lifestyle that can greatly benefit your health. One of the first steps to low fat cooking is to restock your kitchen with low fat foods and products as with anything if it’s not there then you can’t use it. When choosing low fat foods also be aware of the calorie content as many low fat foods may also contain a large amount of sugar.
You need to go through your kitchen and determine which foods are high in fat. There are plenty of low fat alternatives to any food. Some excellent low fat food options include sugar free/fat free pudding, applesauce, popcorn, pretzels, honey, maple syrup, nuts, seeds, dried fruits, whole grain breads, seasonings, spices, herbs, stocks, soup, pasta, grains, legumes, vegetables, fruits, canned fish and oils.
The food products that are very high in fat should be avoided or if you do use them then very sparingly. Some products that should be replaced includes coffee creamers, corn chips, sugary cereals, pancake mixes, flavored pasta, boxed macaroni and cheese, chowders, oil packed fish, regular mayonnaise, creamed soups, canned meats, oil based dressings, shortening, oil packed tuna, rice mixes, gravy mixes, cheese sauces, potato chips, white bread and anything that contains partially hydrogenated in the food ingredient lists.
However fat can also be present in other food products that you may normally think of as healthy. For these types of products there are low fat equivalents that can still be used. If you drink whole milk then you should switch to a lower fat milk. You should aim for 1% or skim milk being the best. You also should chose low fat or light diary products such as cheese and yogurt.
Other foods that should be used sparingly include butter and margarine. Margarine in particular is full of Trans fat. If you can find it there are plenty of liquid spreads that do not have any Trans fat and they can be dramatically reduced in fat.
Eggs are also tricky as eggs have a lot of important vitamins and minerals but the yolks have a lot of cholesterol. You should try to bake with egg substitutes and use egg whites when you can. Only use whole eggs when absolutely necessary.
You can still have meats but you should try to purchase lean cuts instead. Also when eating meat you need to look out for the sodium content as canned meats can be very salty. There are alternatives to your favorite hotdogs and bee burgers. Instead try turkey dogs and veggie burgers. An excellent lean cut of meat is pork tenderloin and skinless chicken is also a good choice.




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