Three ways

The following are a series of tips to deal with fat and sugar, the main sources of unneeded calories in food preparation. There are three ways to deal with high calorie ingredients:

  1. Eliminate them

  2. Reduce them

  3. Substitute them

Eliminate
 Steaming, poaching, stir frying or cooking in a microwave oven are all ways to cook without fat.

Reduce
You may not be able to entirely eliminate the ingredient but you can reduce the amount. Reduce amounts when you have determined that cutting down on the amount of fat or sugar is not likely to drastically alter the final product. This allows you to create new associations and new tastes.


The reducing rules for the weight conscious cook are the following:

  • No more than 2 teaspoons of fat per serving in a main dish or baked product

  • No more than 2 tablespoons of low fat cheese or 1 tablespoon of regular cheese or 1 oz of cheese per serving

  • No more than 1 to 2 teaspoons of nuts per serving

  • No more than 3 to 4 oz of meat or poultry per serving

  • Olives and avocado with moderation

 

Sugar

  • No more than ½ cup of added sweetener per cup of flour in baked products
  • Use vanilla, cinnamon or nutmeg: they can enhance the sweetness of a product without adding calories

    Note: Sweeteners include granulated sugar, powdered sugar, brown sugar, honey, molasses, fructose, syrups, etc. 

    Other Fat Saving Tips
    Cornstarch has a thickening power greater than that of flour and does not require fat in the making of sauces as flour does. One tablespoon of cornstarch thickens from 1 to 2 cups of liquid. Mix it with a small amount of cold liquid first until you have a smooth paste. Then add freely to the sauce. Boil for q minute to thicken properly.
    When you replace sour cream or cream in recipes with low fat plain yogurt, mix the yogurt with cornstarch to prevent curdling. Simmer gently for a few minutes. Do not bring to a boil: this is the secret to a smooth sauce.

    A Final Word
    Do not spoil the great efforts you make in reducing calories in your dishes by eating great amounts of food. Do not take second helpings. Control the size of your portions and you will control your weight!
Some Smart Substitutions

If you use:

Instead of :

Calories You Save

1 Tbsp “lite” margarine

1 Tbsp margarine, oil butter 

20
1 oz “lite” cheddar  1 oz cheddar cheese  25-55
1 oz ground turkey 1 oz ground beef  35
1 cup 2 % cottage cheese  1 cup creamed cottage cheese 36
1 cup 2 % milk 1 cup whole milk  38
1/2 cup water packed fruit  1/2 cup syrup packed fruit 55-70
1 cup broth  1 cup canned cream soup 70
1 piece single crust pie  1 piece two crust pie 80
1 cup skim milk or buttermilk 1 cup whole milk   80
½ cup low fat plain yogurt 1/2 cup sour cream 100
1 Tbsp mustard on sandwiches   1 Tbsp mayonnaise   100
2 Tbsp light mayonnaise 2 Tbsp regular mayonnaise 120
3 oz water packed tuna  3 oz oil packed tuna 135
2 Tbsp broth in stir frying  2 Tbsp oil  200
3 oz water chestnuts (for crunchiness) 3 oz nuts 459