Simple Switches Can Slice Fat From Your Diet

Easy recipe substitutions can reduce calories, experts say

FRIDAY, Aug. 6, 2004 (HealthDayNews) -- It can be hard to make wholesale changes in your diet to eat healthier and lose weight, but switching a few key ingredients in your recipes can make it easy.

The August issue of Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource provides some tips on how to make some healthy recipe alterations:

  • Use low-fat or fat-free yogurt, milk or cheese instead of the full-fat versions.
  • When you bake, replace all or part of the butter or oil with applesauce or prune puree.
  • Use cooking spray for frying and in place of oil or butter when you grease baking pans.
  • Instead of oil, use low-fat or fat-free broth when you saute vegetables. If you prefer oil, use half the amount of what's called for in the recipe.
  • Grill or broil meats and poultry so that most of the fat drops off.
  • Buy lean cuts of meat and cut away all visible fat before you cook it.
  • Reduce sugar in recipes by a third or half. You can substitute prune puree, mashed bananas or unsweetened applesauce for some or all of the sugar in a recipe.
  • Use cinnamon, nutmeg and other sweet spices to flavor foods.

More information

The American Academy of Family Physicians offers nutrition advice.

Related Stories

No stories found.
logo
www.healthday.com