Low-Fat Preparation Techniques

Reducing the consumption of dietary fat may be accomplished by following dietary guides recommending a meal pattern featuring the selection of foods that are lower in fat, especially the saturated type; relying on lower-fat or non-fat cooking methods; and reducing the fat in recipes.

Once overall fat intake is reduced following these guidelines, the next step is to modify the types of fat that are ingested. Monounsaturated fats are preferred over polyunsaturated, which in turn are recommended over saturated fats. For cooking fats, compared to other oils and fats, canola oil contains one of the highest levels of monounsaturated fatty acids. In the same category, olive, avocado, almond, and apricot oils tend to impart more flavor but are more expensive. Safflower oil scores highest in the category of polyunsaturated oils. Saturated fats - coconut, palm, and palm kernel oils and butter - should be avoided according to certain dietary guides.

Butter is often chosen, however, for its unique flavor or by those concerned about the trans fatty acids found in margarines and other partially hydrogenated fats. Although butter and margarine contain approximately the same number of calories (kcal) and grams of fat, the fat in butter is primarily saturated, while that from margarine is more unsaturated. Lard, the saturated fat from swine, is best replaced by vegetable shortening, but even the latter is partially saturated.

Lowering dietary fat may also be achieved in part by selecting a cooking method that does not rely on fat. All of the moist- and dry-heat cooking methods, with the exception of frying, lend themselves to fat-free preparation of foods. Even frying, specifically sauteing and stir-frying, is acceptable if the type of fat is chosen carefully and the amount used is kept to a minimum. Pan-frying and deep-fat frying are the only two methods for which it is essentially impossible to lower the amount of fat used.

Another way to reduce fat in food preparation is to focus on the recipes. The following foods are the main contributors to fat in recipes: meats, dairy products (including whole milk, cheese, cream, ice cream, whipped cream, and butter), commercial fats and oils, avocado, coconut, olives, nuts and seeds. Processed foods such as cakes, cookies, pies, snacks, and others that are made with these ingredients are also high in fat. Many recipes could simply have their fat content reduced or another ingredient substituted without affecting overall quality. Sometimes the fat can be removed altogether. Following the dietary guides will automatically eliminate recipes that are too high in fat and cannot be adequately modified; any meal exceeding 20 grams of fat is probably too high in dietary fat for people consuming three meals a day. Other ways to reduce the amount or modify the type of fat in the diet include:

• Fruit preserves and honey can replace butter on breads.
• Mustard, ketchup, or low-fat salad dressing or mayonnaise may substitute for regular mayonnaise in sandwiches or salads.
• Purees of fruits such as plums, dates, apples, and figs may replace some, but not all, of the fat in recipes for baked products.
• Crumb crusts can replace standard pie crusts.
• Double-crust pies can be converted to one-crust pies, automatically cutting fat by close to 50 percent.
• A nonfat condiment such as salsa, relish, or chutney can replace some of the butter or sour cream toppings on baked potatoes.