5 Ways to Cut Fat
Whether you are trying to drop extra pounds or bring about a drop in cholesterol numbers, you’re going to find that a lot of the fat in your diet has to go. It’s easier to block the fat from coming into your body than it is to burn it off later.
Here are some simple ways to reduce the amount of fat in your daily menu.
1. Cut the cheese.
Cheese is available in low-fat and fat free varieties but most cheese fans would rather reduce the amount of cheese on their plate than give up the full flavor. You will find that a cheese slice made with 2% milk is still tasty.
2. Trim meats.
Read your meat packages and choose meats with lower percentages of fat. If the labels are confusing, ask someone in the meat department to help you. When preparing a steak or roast, trim excess fat before cooking.
3. Hold the butter.
Many years ago margarine was heralded as the dieter’s choice over butter but experts today argue about whether it is better for you or not. In either case, both butter and margarine run high in fat and should be used sparingly.
4. Say good-by to deep fry.
Deep frying adds a lot of fat to your food in the preparation process. Pan frying with a low-fat or fat free cooking spray is better. Baking without oils is best.
5. Redesign desserts.
Ice cream, donuts, cakes and pies are usually quite high in fat. Try redesigning your favorite desserts around low fat basics. You can substitute applesauce for some of the vegetable oil called for in your baking recipes and cut a lot of fat that way. (If a recipe calls for a whole cup of oil, use a half cup of applesauce and just two tablespoons of oil.)
There is a whole food industry built around ‘reduced fat’ and ‘no fat’ options for fat conscience shoppers. It’s easier today to cut fat and still enjoy many of the foods you’ve come to love. You’ll want to become an avid label-reader and be smart about what you find hidden in the small print. Many foods that are marketed as fat-free are quite high in calories and sugar. Your body will just take that extra sugar and convert it to fat in the long run.
Fat is a big part of what makes foods taste good and it is important to our bodies so it can’t be cut out completely. A healthy approach will be one of balance.
