101 ways to cut fat from your diet

DINNER

24) Use nonstick sprays so you can fry foods without adding fat.

25) When preparing salad dressings, use oils that have stronger flavours, such as olive and sesame oils - a little goes a long way.

26) Invest in good-quality knives; they can make the difference in how thin you slice portions of meat and cheese and how well you trim fat from poultry and beef.

27) Steamers are great for cooking vegetables, rice and even fish. Steaming requires no added fat and allows the food to retain most of its nutrients.

28) Use parchment paper to line baking pans so that no oil or shortening is needed to prevent sticking.

29) Good-quality nonstick skillets that require little or no fat to cook are must-haves in the kitchen. They come in a variety of sizes and prices.

30) A grill pan is an excellent addition to the kitchen because it allows you to cook without added fat.

31) Measure oil - don't eyeball it. The 50 millilitres (1/4 cup) of oil that you pour over your salad or into your skillet contains 46 grams of fat and about
400 calories. If you must use it, measure it out - you're bound to use a lot less.

32) Cook foods in broth, wine or tomato juice or other fruit juice instead of in oil.

33) Cook beef or poultry on a rack to allow the fat to drip away from the meat.

34) To ensure that you're not overdoing it, use a grater instead of a knife whenever possible - you'll think that you're getting more than you actually are. Fifteen millilitres (one tablespoon) of grated Parmesan cheese has only 1.5 grams of fat and adds flavour to pasta.

35) When making spaghetti sauce, brown extra-lean beef in a nonstick skillet and drain any fat or juices before adding other ingredients.

36) Instead of deep-frying chicken or fish, bake it after using this three-layered coating: coat in flour, dip in lightly beaten egg whites and then add a crispy coating, such as cornflake crumbs.

37) Make your own low-fat croutons. Cut leftover bread into cubes and bake, on a baking sheet, in a 325F (160C) oven until toasted and golden, about seven minutes. Use different breads for a variety of flavours.

38) Make meat go further (and cut fat) in soups, chili, casseroles and stir-fries by adding extra vegetables, pasta or rice.

39) Use leaner cuts of meat, such as flank steak, tenderloin, eye of round, sirloin, stewing beef, centre-cut pork loin roast or leg butt, or pork tenderloin. Stay away from high-fat meats, such as sausages, hotdogs and marbled beef.

40) Eat more fish - it's either very low in fat or, if fatty, such as salmon or mackerel, contains healthy omega-3 fats.

41) If you're buying frozen dinner entrées, buy the low-fat varieties. If they seem small, supplement them with a salad, soup or steamed vegetables.

42) If you're making soup, stock or stew, make it the day before and let it cool overnight in the refrigerator. Before heating, skim the fat off the top.

43) Remove the skin and all visible fat from chicken and turkey.

44) Instead of basting poultry with butter or other fats, try tomato or lemon juice, stock or wine.

45) Top pasta with a tomato-based sauce instead of a cream-based sauce.

46) Make your own low-fat french fries. Cut four medium-size potatoes into wedges and coat with about 25 millilitres (two tablespoons) of olive oil. Bake in the oven in a nonstick pan. Homemade fries have about five grams of fat per 100-gram serving. Prepared frozen fries weigh in at about the same, but fries from a fast-food restaurant pack about three times the fat.

47) Instead of using bacon or sausage to moisten poultry stuffing, use chopped apples, pears, apricots or raisins that have been soaked in juice. Also, try coarsely chopped cranberries, grated carrots or chopped onions or peppers.

48) Buttermilk may sound high in fat, but it actually has the same amount of fat as 1% milk. Use it in baking or as a base for salad dressings.

49) Top your baked potato with low-fat yogurt or sour cream instead of regular sour cream - you'll save about two grams of fat per 15 millilitres (one tablespoon).

50) Plan some meatless meals. Try a meatless chili or lasagna, a lentil soup or stew, or a vegetable curry. Beans and lentils are low in fat and high in fibre and other nutrients.

51) Don't be fooled by the “light” labels on oils - they're usually lighter in colour, but not necessarily in fat or calories.

52) Make your own salad dressing, reducing the amount of oil by half and using flavourful vinegars, such as balsamic or tarragon, combined with other interesting herbs. If it's too sour, add a pinch of sugar.

53) Replace the oil in homemade salad dressing with chicken or vegetable broth. Combine 125 millilitres (1/2 cup) of broth, 50 millilitres (three tablespoons) of white wine vinegar, 15 millilitres (one tablespoon) of Dijon mustard and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Mix well and store in the refrigerator.

54) Buy plain frozen veggies rather than those in butter, cream or cheese sauce.

55) Cook onions, garlic and other vegetables in broth instead of in oil.

56) Make your own pizza with low-fat mozzarella cheese and lots of vegetables. Skip the fatty bacon, sausage or pepperoni and opt for leaner meats, such as Canadian bacon or low-fat ham.

57) If a recipe calls for coconut milk, look for the lighter version.

58) Evaporated 2% milk can taste as creamy as regular 18% cream. It can be used for rich-tasting desserts and also provides a generous helping of calcium.

59) Invest in a couple of low-fat cookbooks. Anne Lindsay's newest one, Anne Lindsay's Lighthearted Everyday Cooking (John Wiley & Sons, 2002), offers heaps of healthy, tasty meals, as do her other low-fat cookbooks.