Plan to cut down on fat and cholesterol. At the same time,
increase intake of fresh raw fruits and vegetables as well as their
juices. Follow this basic program:
1. To “butter” a baked potato or slice of toast, dip a clean
pastry brush in vegetable oil and apply liberally. The taste of fat is
there, but most of it is unsaturated.
2. Make hamburgers with lean chuck or lean ground round
rather than fatty ground meats. Ask your butcher to grind only lean
meats. Or, buy chunks of lean meat and grind it yourself. You might
add a raw potato or a tablespoon of vegetable oil to the chopped
meat to produce hamburgers that are juicy but low in saturated fat.
3. If a baking recipe calls for one cup of butter or solid
shortening, substitute 2/3 cup of any vegetable oil.
4. If a recipe calls for sour cream, substitute plain yogurt.
Yogurt liquefies easily, so add it carefully. Do not beat or stir too
much and do not overheat.
5. If a recipe requires eggs, use two cholesterol-free egg
whites instead of one whole egg. This won’t work if the recipe re-
quires many eggs, but egg whites are a suitable replacement if only
one or two eggs are to be used.
6. You can easily enjoy low-fat meat or poultry soups. Make
the soup one day ahead in the usual manner. When it cools, skim
off all of the visible fat that floats to the surface.
7. If a baking recipe calls for whole milk, substitute low-
fat or skim milk. You might also replace the milk with your favorite
fruit juice for a bonus in enzymes.
8. Read the labels on imitation dairy products. Many con-
tain a saturated oil such as coconut or palm oil. The labels may list these substances as “pure vegetable oil.” If you’re on a low-fat diet,
it’s best to avoid imitation dairy products that contain saturated fats,
Switch to skim milk.
9. Brown onions, mushrooms and other foods in soy sauce
instead of butter or oil. This method produces almost fat-free food
that tastes as if it were cooked in fat.
10. Eliminate half the fat and calories in poultry by remoy.
ing the skin after it has been cooked. Younger, smaller chickens
and turkeys are leaner, so try to use them instead of older, fatter
birds.
11. Experiment with different kinds of unsaturated vege
table oils. Sunflower seed oil, safflower seed oil, corn oil, soy oil,
peanut oil and others are available at many groceries and health
stores. They’re cholesterol-free, yet offer you the satisfying and
“safe” taste of fat.
12. Preserve the essential ingredients in oils by refrigerating
them after you open the container. This will also help preserve the
oil’s taste and fragrance.