Low - Fat Eating

Here are some specific tips on eating a low-fat diet. Remember it’s not as hard as it seems. For more on this topic, check out the section on Cholesterol in the HeartPoint Gallery.

• Make a shopping list
• Eat more vegetables, fruit and grains.
• You don’t have to stop eating foods you enjoy that are high in fat, just cut down on the amount of their servings. Use bigger quantities of low-fat foods to accompany them.
     --Instead of a steak that covers the whole plate, get a cut that you really like of modest size. 4 ounces of beef is recommended – that’s a steak about the size of a deck of cards.
     --Flavor your stew with meat in modest amounts, don’t overpower it.
     --Eat one egg instead of two.
• Eat fatty foods less often. You don’t have to quit your favorite foods completely. For example, you don’t have to have meat every day.
• Trim the visible fat. Remove all of the skin from poultry.
• Limit organ meats (liver, kidney)
• Use lunch meats sparingly (salami, bologna, sausage)
• Make egg dishes with egg whites rather than egg yolks.
• Drink skim or 1% milk (if you drink milk)
• Watch the cheese (sorry!). Look for low-fat varieties, especially for cooking.
• Don’t add fat as you cook.
     --Instead of :
                        --Frying
     --Use these techniques :
                        --Roasting (on a rack if possible so fat drains away)
                        --Grilling
                        --Baking
• Don’t settle for dull. A little imagination can go a long way in keeping foods interesting:
     --Try new spices
     --Get a good low-fat cookbook with a number of recipes and alternatives. Invest a little time in planning some good alternatives.
     --Come back and check out Bonnie’s recipes on HeartPoint!
• Cut down on added fats, such as salad dressing and butter. Try and use those which are low in saturated fats, and in moderation!
     --Avoid
              --Butter
              --Lard
                  --Palm oil, coconut oil
          (These contain about 40% saturated fat)
     --Use
                  --Olive oil
                  --Use a vegetable oil spray to brown or saute food.
                  --Canola, safflower, sunflower, peanut, and corn oil.
          (These contain about 20% saturated fat)
• Read the labels (follow the links). Unfortunately, you really have to pay attention to some foods that say "Healthy" or "No cholesterol". They may still contain large amounts of fat and saturated fat!
• Make some reasonable substitutions
• Use prudence when dining out
• KEEP ON TRYING ! !

©COPY;1997 HeartPoint

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