for low-fat eating
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Pull out all your saucepans, dishes and plates. If the pans are not non-stick, throw them out and invest in some good quality non-stick cookware. That means you'll always use less fat. Buy plates that look big but actually offer smaller sized portions. Soup bowls with a big outside lip are great - remember, trick the eye and trick the stomach.
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Invest in a good spray bottle. Fill the bottle with half oil and half water (click here for recipe ideas) and when you need to use oil, spray with your spray gun instead - you'll be amazed at the results.
Coat your baking pans with flour or cornmeal to prevent sticking - you won't have the added fat and calories of shortening or oil.
Replace some of the whole eggs called for with 2 egg whites. Each egg replaced with 2 egg whites will save 5 grams of fat. It's usually a good idea to keep at least 1 or 2 whole eggs to maintain the correct taste and consistency. For example, replace 3 whole eggs with 1 whole egg and 4 egg whites - you'll save 10 grams of fat.
Grill don't fry. Yes, that's right: if you grill, the oil drops off - it's healthier and more enjoyable than having a mouth full of fat.
Over the page: More fat-busting tips
More fat-busting tips
- Buy extra-lean cuts of meat and remove all visible fat and skin (this makes a huge difference to the fat content of chicken).
- Turkey is the lowest-fat meat available.
- Buy low-fat versions of high-fat products like butter, milk, yoghurt and cheese.
- Use non-stick pans and a low-fat cooking spray instead of frying in oil or butter. Dry fry, grill or bake.
- Baked beans are one of the best snacks to have because they are high in energy but very low in fat.
- Another great low-fat snack is baked potatoes (no butter or cheese, though)
- If you're desperate for a sugar hit, DON'T go for chocolate - go for barley sugar, fruit gums or any similar non-choc sweet.
- Keep your food cupboard well-stocked. If you've had a busy day and there's nothing to eat at home, the temptation to buy high-fat junk food is often too strong to beat.
- If you can, cut out butter on your toast. Honey, jam and marmite are all low-fat toppings. (Peanut butter is VERY high fat).
- Don't snack on nuts or seeds if you're trying to lose weight. Most are extremely high in fat, even though it's technically a 'good fat'.
- Sadly, avocado is another food to avoid if you're trying to lose weight. The fat in avocado is another 'good fat' but it still stacks the weight on.
- When buying canned tuna, get the sort packed in brine or springwater, not in oil.
- Stay away from mayonnaise. Most pre-packed sandwiches in the UK are smothered in it. At Luscious, we use only low-fat mayonnaise, and even then in very small quantities.
- Restrict yourself to two eggs a week or, better still, only eat the egg whites, which contain no fat.
- When eating out, go for low-fat meals like pasta in a tomato-based sauce (not a creamy sauce).
- Don't be deceived by labels. Low cholesterol does NOT mean low fat.
- Invest in a low-fat cookbook - you'll be amazed at how many tasty low-fat versions there are of your favourite foods. Most foods can be made with low-fat products - even pizza.
- Request skimmed or semi-skimmed milk when ordering coffee. (At Luscious, ALL our coffee is 'skinny').
Try some delicious Luscious low-fat recipes:
Chicken Kebabs
Low-fat Prawn Laksa
Beetroot Risotto
Pea & Pumpkin Curry
Chocolate Marshmallow Brownies
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For more information on the Luscious cafés and organic stores, visit luscious.co.uk.
Why not swop your low fat eating tips or get advice from other iVillagers on the Eating for Health message board. Take a look at some of the LIVE discussions happening on the board right now: