Reducing fat from your food helps reduce your long-term risks for heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. Health experts advise 20 to 35 percent of calories from fat (44 to 78 fat grams for a 2,000-calorie daily eating plan). And keep saturated fat (including trans fatty acids) as low as possible.
Here are some ways you can reduce fat from your daily cooking:
- Pick flavorful oil. A little extra virgin olive, sesame, walnut, or herb-infused oil goes a long way.
- Thicken creamy soup or stew with puréed, cooked root veggies, such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, parsnips, or turnips.
- Buy nonstick pans—to sauté or stir-fry with less fat.
- Oven bake “fried chicken.” Coat chicken with yogurt, then roll in whole-wheat bread crumbs and herbs. Spray lightly with vegetable oil spray. Oven bake at 350°F in a nonstick pan.
- Grill or broil, roast or bake, boil or stir-fry—all low-fat ways to cook!
- Use a cheese with flavors. Just a little Romano, blue, or Parmesan cheese delivers lots of flavor.
- Go less with any oil. Toss less butter, margarine, or oil with veggies, pasta, or rice. Ladle less dressing on salad.
- Follow the 2⁄3 – 1⁄3 guideline: 2⁄3 of the plate with veggies, fruits, and grain foods. Fill the rest of the plate with meat, poultry, ï¬sh, or cheese.