20 tips for healthy entertaining

11. Use skimmed or semi-skimmed milk. Skimmed milks provide the same nutrients as whole milk but with much less saturated fat, cholesterol and calories.
12. Use reduced-fat cheeses, but avoid non-fat cheeses, which are rubbery and bitter. Use the finest quality Parmesan cheese, Parmigiano Reggiano, grated just before use. It costs more, but the flavour is far superior.
13. Use mustard, particularly the grainy variety, to add thickness to dressings and sauces without adding fat. Use garlic, ginger, onions, lemon juice, vinegar, chillies, mustard and fresh herbs as natural flavour enhancers.
14. Use salsa as a condiment to enhance breakfast dishes, grilled foods and sandwiches. Use fruit salsas as a delicious and fat-free topping for grilled fish, poultry or meat.
15. Purée roast garlic to use on bread or as a fat-free flavour enhancer for comfort foods such as mashed potatoes or pasta.
16. You can cook chicken with the skin on, which will not add any fat to the dish. The secret is to discard the fatty skin before eating the chicken. Also be sure to trim the fat from beef, lamb and pork before cooking, which reduces the fat of the finished dish.
17. When selecting oils, choose monounsaturated oils such as olive, corn or groundnut - the good guys in oil. No matter what type of oil, limit the amount used.
18. Chop and freeze fresh herbs when available to have on hand year-round.
19. To add a bacon flavour without adding excessive fat, use small amounts of prosciutto, which is lower in fat than regular bacon.
20. To intensify flavour, toast nuts and seeds such as pine nuts and sesame seeds. A few toasted nuts will add more flavour than a large handful of plain ones.

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