Healthy recipes Top 10 low fat substitutes

Date Published:

05/01/2009

Yes, it’s New Year and hell yes, we’d like to shed a few festive pounds. Though rather than nose-diving into 2009 with a be-cruel-to-yourself crash diet, wouldn’t it be easier - and kinder - to make a few simple substitutions that would seriously lower your fat (and therefore calorie) intake? Sue Ashworth gets the skinny on the best options

Use semi-skimmed milk (around 2% fat) instead of whole milk (around 3.8% fat). If you’re already drinking semi, switch to skimmed. Your taste buds will adjust, and over the year you’ll be cutting thousands of calories. Continue enjoying milk – its nutritional content of protein, calcium and vitamins is highly valued by your body.

Switch to a low fat spread instead of butter or margarine – some brands have less than half the fat. Also (because they can lack the creaminess of the real deal) you can spread it really thinly too, meaning you’ll save on quantity. Remember, these products are for spreading – not cooking.

Choose lean meat for its lower fat content. It’s more expensive, so buy less and have a smaller portion. Buy lean pork steaks instead of fatty chops; eat more chicken and turkey (without skin); for roast lamb, choose leg instead of shoulder; buy ready-trimmed meat – most supermarkets have 'healthy option' ranges; try venison or ostrich – both are excellent low fat choices.

Select extra lean mince instead of cheaper, higher fat versions. Buy less (it will be pricier), then bulk out recipes with extra vegetables – very healthy! If making chilli or spag bol, add chopped carrots, peppers, mushrooms and extra tomatoes. For cottage pie, beef up the mince mixture with swede or turnip, courgette, celery, onion and carrot.

Be aware of where fat lies! Processed foods can be full of them – so aim to swap those high-fat shop-bought foods like pastries, pasties, pies, cakes and biscuits for simpler, healthier home-cooked foods. Cook from scratch whenever you can - it doesn’t have to be time-consuming or expensive. Check out healthy recipes such as salmon and ginger fish cakes or skinny chicken chow mein – beats your local hands down.

Do your body a favour and choose healthy snacks instead of high-fat fillers. Think fresh fruit and veg, or high-fibre, low fat foods (like nutritious home-made honey crunch bars), or even a bowl of low sugar cereal to keep hunger pangs at bay, rather than going for crisps and the like.

Low fat soft cheese is brilliant! Use it as a spread instead of butter, marge or spreads - it adds more flavour and you can spread it thickly. Its go-with-anything taste means it works with sweet or savoury flavours, so try it topped with tuna, smoked salmon, lean ham, chicken or sliced mango, peach or banana.

Remember, hard cheese is roughly one third fat, so though it’s good for you (lots of calcium and protein), it ranks highly in the fat and calorie stakes. Substitute fat-reduced types and use where you can’t tell the difference – great grated in cheese salads, sandwiches and jacket potatoes, and for cheese sauce.

Substitute low fat natural yogurt for thick Greek yogurt – it has roughly half the fat and calories, and it’s very versatile. Use it to top fruit, cereals and soup, in dips and dunks, and for combining with other ingredients to lighten the load – like mixing with equal quantities of reduced-fat mayonnaise for a tasty dressing.

Consider how you cook – no point choosing food wisely, then spoiling your efforts by cooking in a high fat way. Grill, steam, simmer, stir-fry, roast, poach, bake or microwave without adding excess fat. Say no to deep-frying, and when using oil, measure rather than slosh it in.

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Inspired to switch to low fat? Get started with 4Food’s healthy recipes.

Six simple yet scrumptious low fat step-by-step recipes, updated each month for you to use and download. This month we'll show you how to make Asian chicken salad and tropical salad with mint yoghurt.

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