Low Fat Weight Loss Tips

When trying to keep the weight down, it doesn’t matter what weight loss plan you follow – chances are, you’re going to crave those common “comfort foods”. Macaroni and cheese is definitely one that many crave, but here’s a low fat recipe you can try that will please your taste buds, so you don’t have to deprive yourself of some of those comfort foods.

Recipe for Low Fat Macaroni and Cheese

Approx 2.5 grams of fat and 180 calories per serving

Begin with skim milk, butter, and Laughing Cow® cheese in a saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly until the sauce is creamy and the cheese is completely melted. Slowly add the low fat shredded cheese and mozzarella, and continue stirring as they melt. If cheese sauce is too thick, add additional very small amounts of milk as you continue stirring, until it reaches your preferred consistency. Add salt and pepper if you desire, then add the pasta to the low fat cheese sauce. Stir together… serve, and enjoy!

Recipe for Pork and Vegetable Stir Fry Burritos

Low calorie and low fat recipe makes 4 burritos and can be doubled or halved.
237 calories and about 5 grams of fat per burrito.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Wrap tortillas in aluminum foil.
3. Combine sherry, soy sauce and sugar in a small cup
4. Heat tortillas in preheated 350 oven for 10 minutes or until warm
5. Meanwhile, heat very large skillet or wok over medium high heat. Add 1 tbsp oil. When oil is hot, add pork. Stir fry 3 minutes or until browned and just cooked through. Remove with slotted spoon to small bowl.
6. Add remaining oil to skillet. When oil is hot, add red pepper, snow peas and green onion; stir fry 2 minutes. Add cabbage and reserved sherry mixture; stir fry 1 minute. Return meat to skillet; cover and cook 2 minutes or until cabbage just starts to wilt.
7. Remove tortillas from oven. Brush each with plum sauce. Fill center of each tortilla with pork mixture. Fold up bottom of tortilla and fold sides over so burrito can be eaten in hand.

Note: If you’d like an even lower calorie alternative to the tortilla, you can instead, wrap the filling in fresh spinach, cabbage or lettuce leaves.

Recipe for Low Fat Muffuletta

Traditionally, a muffuletta is made with salami and provolone, but for a low fat muffuletta, you can make it with lean baked ham and turkey instead, at 11 grams of fat.
This is a make ahead recipe that requires some refrigeration before consuming, but is worth the wait!

1. Combine mixed vegetables and olives in small bowl
2. Heat oil in small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add garlic and oregano; cook two minutes, do not brown. Halve bread horizontally. Pull out some of bread from each half. Brush inside of bottom half with oil mixture. Top with half of vegetables. Add ham and turkey. Top with remaining vegetables. Cover with top half of bread.
3. Wrap sandwich tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least two hours or overnight. Cut into 4 wedges and serve.

Enjoy!!

Of course, “frying” means cooking food in fat. The fat provides flavor and also prevents foods from sticking to the pan. Two techniques provide low fat cooking alternatives to frying in large quantities of oil and fat.

Stir-Frying: Food cut into uniformly small pieces and stirred constantly in a very hot wok, deep sauté pan or skillet cooks quickly with very minimal oil. In place of oil, you can even use small amounts of chicken or beef broth instead.

Nonstick Sautéing: Traditionally, sautéing means cooking food in a small amount of fat or oil. Nonstick pans, which greatly reduce the need for fat, are a must for the health-conscious cook. With a good nonstick pan, you can scramble an egg without butter or sauté vegetables, chicken or fish in just a few drops of oil.

Recipe for Low Fat Chicken Stock

Low fat chicken stock can be used for low fat cooking methods, and perfect for poaching foods. It can be covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days, or frozen for up to 2 months. Always bring to a boil before using.
Recipe makes about 12 cups and contains 2 grams of fat and 44 calories per cup.

1. Combine chicken, wings, carrot, celery, parsley, bay leaf, leek, salt and peppercorns in large dutch oven or stockpot. Add 12 to 14 cups of cold water or enough to cover the ingredients by 2 inches. Slowly bring to boiling, skimming any scum that rises to surface.

2. Partially cover pot and simmer 2 hours. Strain through colander lined with double-thick dampened cheesecloth. Discard solids, reserving chicken for other uses if you like. Cool stock in separate smaller bowls. Then refrigerate, covered, until next day.

3. Skim fat from surface of stock. Transfer stock to large saucepan. Bring to boiling. Pour into three 1-quart refrigerator or freezer containers. Let cool. Refrigerate or freeze.

Broiling, grilling, baking and roasting are all methods of dry heat low fat cooking that do not call for added fat. Ideally, dry heat sears food on the outside and leaves it juicy on the inside. However, dry heat cooking does not reduce the toughness, so it’s best to either marinate your foods first, or stick to tender foods. Be careful not to overcook foods with dry heat methods.

Baking and Roasting: Since this is low fat cooking, be sure to set meats or poultry to be baked or roasted on a rack in a baking or roasting pan so the fat drains off. Or you can use a gravy separator to isolate the fat and use the meat juices as a light sauce. Turning food during cooking is not necessary, although basting with pan juices or other liquids helps keep the food moist inside, crisp outside. You can also bake poultry or fish on a bed of vegetables, such as carrots and onions, to add flavor and retain moisture.

Grilling: Everyone loves a barbeque and your backyard barbeque provides it’s own wonderful taste, but you can also add extra flavor. Try a low calorie topping of lemon juice with bits of fresh or dried herbs instead of the bbq sauces. (there are some low fat ones out there on the market)

Broiling: Broiling is just an indoor version of grilling, but without the smoky flavor. Broiled foods also must be turned and watched very carefully so they don’t burn. Broil meats on a rack in your broiler pan so the fat can drain off.