You Might Also Like How to. Étouffée or smothering: popular in Cajun tdchniques Creole Low-fat cooking techniques, this method Skeletal muscle mass cooking fish Loe-fat seafood in a closed Low-ffat with the steam from its own juices. Swap out tomato-based marina sauce for the creamy cheese sauce. Cook Smart n Healthy. By doing so, you can cut fat and calories. The following healthy cooking methods capture flavors, retain nutrients, and minimize the need for added fat or salt. Member Resources.

Low-fat cooking techniques -

If you're making chicken, remove the skin before you poach it: "You immediately cut the fat grams by more than half," says Bazilian. What you need: A saucepan that's deep enough to submerge the ingredients and a watchful eye, so that only an occasional bubble breaks the surface otherwise, the meat may become tough.

Tip: Instead of pouring the cooking liquid down the drain, turn it into soup by adding vegetables and perhaps some pasta for substance. Recent research indicates that when people eat soup, they tend to fill up quickly due to the volume of liquid.

As a result, they consume fewer calories overall without feeling deprived. Wrapping Why do it: A combination of steaming and baking, this cooking method works splendidly with fish and chicken, which dry out easily, because the paper pouch traps the moisture and the juices.

Just place food on a piece of paper, wrap it up, and put it in the oven. When it's ready, as you pull away the crinkly, slightly burnished edges of the parcels, you'll feel almost as if you're unwrapping a healthy gift.

What you need: Waterproof and oven-safe, parchment paper is the perfect packaging for this cooking method look for it near the plastic wrap. Don't substitute wax paper, which shouldn't be directly exposed to heat. If the seams start to unfold as soon as you let go, use a lemon half or a carrot as a paperweight.

Tip: The ingredients for a parchment package are limited only by your imagination. Use a different fish. Add some olives. Try asparagus instead of fennel, potatoes in place of beans. Whatever your creation, include a variety of colors as well as some fresh herbs, finely chopped garlic, or thinly sliced fresh ginger.

Pureeing Why do it: When you puree vegetables, they go from ordinary to velvety with the touch of a button. Pureeing involves two basic steps: simmering the vegetables say, squash or broccoli, sweet potatoes or cauliflower until they're tender, and blending them with broth until they're smooth.

Adjusting the amount of broth determines whether you end up with a soup or a side dish. If you want to put a little olive oil in your puree, fine. Bazilian explains that eating low-fat isn't just about avoiding fat.

What you need: Food processors are terrific for chopping, but for a really smooth puree you'll need to pull out the blender. A time-saving alternative is an immersion blender. Basically a blender on a stick, it can be placed directly into a pot of hot liquid.

Chopping the seeds distributes the crunch and makes a small sprinkle seem like an abundance; heating the seeds brings out their flavor and aroma.

Substitute fruit or vegetable puree for the fat in a baking recipe. Cut back on fat while adding moisture and flavor to your baked goods. Try substituting puree, such as applesauce, pear sauce, or canned pumpkin, for all of the butter or oil in cakes, muffins, and quick bread.

Try shredding zucchini to use in brownies or chocolate cake. Swap plain yogurt for sour cream or mayonnaise. You can use low-fat, nonfat, or Greek yogurt in most recipes that call for sour cream or mayonnaise. If you're not ready to give up sour cream yet, try switching to a reduced-fat version.

You could also try low-fat ricotta instead of full-fat sour cream. Use soft or reduced-fat cheese instead of hard or full-fat cheese.

Fresh or soft cheese, such as feta, goat cheese, or cottage cheese, contains less fat than hard aged cheese like Parmesan or cheddar. If you don't want to compromise flavor, you could use reduced-fat versions of these cheeses. For example, save it for a garnish instead of adding it to a sauce.

Go with lean meats and other protein sources instead of red meat. Red meat is higher in fat than lean meat, such as skinless chicken or ground turkey breast, so try to substitute or replace some of the red meat you eat. Incorporate other forms of protein, such as seafood, beans, or tofu, that are lower in fat, for instance.

Tip: Canadian bacon is a great low-fat substitute for bacon or pepperoni. Replace fried snacks with whole grains or fresh produce. If you frequently snack on chips, crackers, or pastries, try to eliminate them from your diet and eat healthy snack instead. Keep healthy choices, such as chopped fruit, vegetable sticks, plain pretzels, or unbuttered popcorn.

Method 3. Marinate food before you cook it. Coat meat, fish, or vegetables with a simple vinaigrette for at least 2 hours before you cook it to add a lot of flavor. It's fine to use a marinade that contains healthy oil, such olive or canola oil, as long as it also has other flavorful ingredients, such as: Fresh herbs Mustard Minced garlic Vinegar Citrus juice.

Use fresh herbs as a seasoning or garnish. Fresh herbs add color, nutrients, and bright flavor to food, so get a few sprigs to use in your cooking. To keep their bold color, chop or mince them and add them to food just before serving.

Experiment with different herbs to see what flavor combinations you enjoy. These are popular herbs to cook with: [11] X Research source Parsley Basil Rosemary Oregano Sage.

Use broth or cooking sprays instead of oil or butter. If you frequently melt butter or shortening in a pan before you start cooking or you finish a dish with a pat of butter, make a few minor adjustments to cut some of the fat.

Spritz your pan with healthy oil and then season the food at the end with a little chicken or vegetable broth instead of butter. Put dressings or sauces on the side.

If you're ordering food, ask to have the dressing or any sauces served next to the salad or dish. This will give you more control over how much you eat. Try spearing some of the salad or food on your fork and dipping a little of it into the dressing or sauce. You'll probably find that you use less than if you poured the dressing or sauce over your food.

org Organization associated with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics providing advice about food, health, and fitness Go to source To make lower-fat choices, pick vinaigrettes instead of very sweet or creamy dressings. If you really enjoy creamy dressing, look for one made with yogurt or buttermilk.

Flavor pasta or casserole with marinara instead of cream sauce. Many decadent pastas or casseroles are high in fat because they're loaded with cream, cheese, and red meat. Swap out tomato-based marina sauce for the creamy cheese sauce. You'll get brighter flavor and a serving of vegetables while cutting back on the fat.

I steamed Octoberfest sausages and loved them. Is the fat content of 27g reduced substantially? WikiHow Editor No, it won't really be reduced, the fat will stay inside of the sausage because of the casing.

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Claim Your Gift If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. Support wikiHow Yes No. Not Helpful 2 Helpful 0. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Instead of adding cream to make soup taste rich, use an immersion blender to puree the soup.

This will make the soup feel creamy and thick without the added fat. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0. If you're watching your cholesterol as well as your fat, try to reduce the number of whole eggs in recipes. You Might Also Like. How to. More References 5.

About this article. Co-authored by:. Co-authors: 9. Updated: December 21,

Low-fat cooking techniques eat less fat, you may need to Low-fat cooking techniques some Low-fxt ways to cook. But tefhniques doesn't mean you have to eat bland, boring food. And it doesn't mean cooking needs to take any more time. Here are some tips for cooking and seasoning foods with less fat. Broil fish instead of frying it. Looking for ways to limit your fat intake? Good Low-fay Fat technniques an important part of a techniqjes diet. Improve your athletic performance gives you energy, Low-fat cooking techniques your body Low-fat cooking techniques cookinf vitamins Low-fat cooking techniques adds flavour and texture to all types of foods. At the same time, fat is high in calories and depending on the type of fat, not good for your heart. Include fat in moderation and choose better types of fat that will contribute to your health. While all fats offer the same amount of calories, some fats are better for you than others.