1. Choose meat with the least amount of fat.
2. Remove fat.
- Trim off the fat you can see from meat and poultry.Remove the skin from poultry.
- Trim any visible fat from meat and poultry. Remove skin from poultry.
- Remove fat from canned meat.
- Buy tuna packed in water.
- Cool soups and stews, removing the solid fat layer from the top.
3. Cook meats by:
- Baking
- Microwaving
- Broiling
- Grilling
- Boiling
- Stir-frying
- Cook with little or no added fat. Use nonstick pans or spray with cooking spray.
4. Drain the fat after the mince is browned. To remove more fat, rinse the browned ground meat in hot water (not boiling). Then blot with paper towels.
5. Eat meat in moderation. Include more grains, fruits and vegetables in your meals.
6. Cook with less fat.
- Substitute low-fat or skim milk for whole milk in recipes.
- Replace cream in recipes with evaporated skim milk.
- Use a small amount of full-fat cheese, such as cheddar, or a low-fat cheese, such as part-skim mozzarella.
- Reduce the amount of fat in your recipes. Do not reduce fat if the fat content in the recipe is already reduced. Start by reducing the fat by ¼. For example, if the cake recipe calls for 1 cup of margarine, use ¾ cup of margarine. Fat can be reduced by½ in quick bread, muffins, and some soft cookie recipes. For example, if a muffin recipe calls for 1 cup of oil, use ½ cup.
- Replace chocolate and nuts with raisins or chopped fresh fruits or canned fruits.
- Substitute nonfat or reduced-fat sour cream or low-fat yogurt in place of sour cream.
- Reduce the amount of oil in homemade salad dressings. Try one part oil to two parts vinegar.
7. Replace whole milk with skim or low-fat milk. It might be easier to take it one step at a time. Start by switching from whole milk to 2% low-fat milk. After that, switch to 1% low-fat milk, then switch to skim milk.
8. Add less fat to your food. A small amount of these extra fats adds up to a lot of fat. Use these with caution:
- Butter or Margarine
- Sour Cream
- Oil or Shortening
- Salad Dressing
- Cream Cheese
- Mayonnaise
- Bacon Grease or Bacon
- Tartar Sauce
- Non-dairy Creamer
9. There are many foods that taste good and have little fat. Replace high-fat foods with fat-free or low-fat foods.
- Sandwiches: Use mustard, ketchup, low-fat or non-fat salad dressing, onions, tomatoes, lettuce, and sprouts.
- Vegetables, Soups, and Dry Beans: Season vegetables with low-fat margarine sauce, onion, garlic, lemon juice, spices, salsa, or vinegar. Substitute lean diced ham, smoked turkey, or bouillon for fatty meats like bacon to flavor soups and bean dishes.
- Bread, Muffins, and Rolls: Use jams, jelly, fruit spreads, or a small amount of low-fat margarine or a low-fat spreads.
- Pasta, Potatoes, and Rice: Use low-fat margarine or low-fat yogurt on potatoes. Rice and pasta do not require added fat in the cooking water.