Low Fat Cooking Techniques and Substitution Guide

Slash the fat, saturated fat and cholesterol in any recipe by learning how to change the ingredients. You can also dramatically decrease the total calories, sodium and sugar in any recipe.

General Tips:

1. Experiment with low fat cooking techniques such as baking, broiling, poaching and steaming instead of frying.
2. Boost the fiber and nutrients by using whole grain products and vegetables more often.
3. Take advantage of fat free and reduced fat products to save calories and fat without sacrificing flavor.
4. Cut nuts, chocolate chips and coconut by 1/3 to 2/3 for further fat, calories and cholesterol savings.
5. Braise-deglaze poultry, fish and vegetables to develop a rich brown color and sweet, intense flavor.
6. Steam vegetables, fish and poultry to slash fat and cholesterol.
7. Use broth or juice soften vegetables instead of frying in oil and butter.

Butter or Margarine	1 tsp. dry butter flavor sprinkles or 4 tsp. for each ¼ c. fat in recipes ½ cup applesauce for each cup of oil or margarine in mixes. Benecol™ or Take Control™ bread spreads or tub margarines
Cheese	Try reduced fat cheese and decrease the amount in the recipe by 1/3 to 2/3
Cottage Cheese	Fat free cottage cheese or fat free yogurt
Cream Cheese	Fat free cream cheese, yogurt-cheese, tofu or fat free ricotta cheese
Cream Soup	Vegetable or broth based soups. Or 1 cup nonfat yogurt + 1 TB cornstarch and 1 cup celery, broccoli or other food = 1 cup cream soup.
Egg	2 egg whites or 1/4 cup egg product substitute
Flour	Half white flour and half whole grain (wheat, rye, oat) flour for each cup. Also use no more than 1 to 2 TB of oil for each cup of flour.
Gravy	Au jus or broth, defatted
Ground Meat	Meat substitute (soy or grain like burger crumbles), ground turkey meat or breast or occasionally extra lean ground meat from the round, loin or tenderloin.
Heavy Cream	Evaporated skim milk
Herbs, fresh	1 tsp. dried herbs for each tablespoon fresh herbs
Light Cream	Evaporated skim milk or fat free milk
Mayonnaise	Fat free yogurt or half fat free mayonnaise and fat free yogurt
Oil or shortening	Nonstick coating for sautéing and “frying.” Canola or olive oil for other uses
Peanut butter	Reduced fat or natural-style with no added fat, salt or sugar. Use less or mix with equal amounts of tofu or spreadable fruit.
Salt	Omit and use spices of your choice. Avoid MSG, garlic or onion salt.
Soy Sauce	Use reduced sodium soy sauce and use less. To further decrease sodium mix reduced sodium soy sauce with equal amounts of water, sherry or vinegar.
Sour Cream	Fat free sour cream, fat free cottage cheese or fat free yogurt
Sugar	Reduce by 25 % and add more spices, extract & shredded veggies.
Unsweetened Baking Chocolate	3 TB cocoa powder + 2 teaspoons vegetable oil for each ounce baking chocolate.
White rice	Brown rice, cracked wheat, kashi or wild rice.
Whole milk or yogurt	Fat free milk (lactose reduced if lactose - intolerant) or non-fat yogurt