High-fat foods usually contain plenty of calories. Fortunately, the food industry has jumped on the low-fat bandwagon by offering lower fat and fat-free versions of your favorite high-calorie foods. In addition to buying low-fat products, you can modify your diet to reduce your intake of calories and fat.
Fats
Recipes often call for fat in the form of butter, margarine, oil or shortening. For certain recipes, you can simply reduce the amount of fat by one-quarter, recommends The Ohio State University Extension. However, you need to use a fat substitute for baked goods. Replace half the fat with unsweetened applesauce, prune purée or mashed banana, suggests MayoClinic.com. If you cut back on the fat in baked goods, you may need to reduce the baking time by one-quarter, according to OSU Extension.
Cheese
Whether eaten alone or added to recipes, cheeses provide a tasty source of calcium and protein. Unfortunately, they also can be high in fat. OSU Extension suggests replacing full-fat cheeses, such as cream cheese, with low-fat or nonfat versions of the same product. Puréed low-fat cottage cheese also works well as a substitute. Replace full-fat sour cream, cottage cheese or ricotta with nonfat or reduced-fat varieties, or use fat-free plain yogurt instead. If you're baking with cheese, add the lower-fat varieties near the end of the cooking time, or use part-skim mozzarella, recommends OSU Extension.
Milk Products
Put down the whole milk--use nonfat or reduced-fat varieties instead. Replace cream with evaporated skim milk, recommends OSU Extension. Substitute nonfat whipped topping for high-calorie whipping cream.
Meat and Fish
You can reduce the fat and calories in meat and fish two ways--substitute leaner meats or do a better job of trimming fat from the higher-fat varieties. Remove the skin before cooking poultry. Buy lean ground beef or substitute ground turkey or chicken. If you enjoy canned fish, such as tuna, buy products packed in water--not oil.
Dressings
Dressings and mayonnaise can quickly add lots of calories and fat, making even a simple salad or sandwich into a diet breaker. Read nutrition labels--replace your favorite dressing with a low-fat or nonfat version. Switch out traditional mayo-based coleslaw with a vinegar-based recipe. Use mustard, which is fat-free, instead of mayo on your sandwich.
Cooking Method
Forget about substitutes altogether by altering the way you cook certain foods. Stop frying foods in fat. Use your oven, microwave or grill instead. You can bake, broil, boil, poach or roast many meats, veggies and fruits. If you don't want to completely give up fried foods, use cooking spray or nonstick cookware to reduce the amount of butter and oil you use.
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