Low Fat Makeovers: How to Modify your Favourite Recipes

Low fat cooking doesn’t have to mean bland, boring food. Even though removing fat removes some flavour, there are plenty of delicious options to replace it with! In this article we’ll show you three easy ways to modify your favourite recipes: substitute high fat for low fat ingredients, reduce the levels of high fat ingredients and eliminate high fat ingredients:

1. Substitute

The following low fat options can be substituted for their high fat counterparts:

Butter and margarine (1 Tbsp = 16g fat)
- Cottage cheese, mustards, chutneys, fruit spreads or honey
(If you use butter use mono or polyunsaturated margarine and spread it thinly.)

Oil (1 Tbsp = 20g fat)
- Experiment using soy sauce, lemon juice, wine or stocks to stir fry or sauté
- Use non-stick pans and no oil at all
(If you use oil choose vegetable oils such as canola, olive and sunflower. Use small amounts and brush or spray rather than pour.)

Cream (1 Tbsp = 7g fat)
- For soups and casseroles stir in non-fat natural yoghurt
- For desserts use low fat ice cream, yoghurt, ricotta cheese or low fat custard. Add a little icing sugar, honey, fruit or liqueur for sweetness

Sour cream (1 Tbsp = 7.5g fat)
- Use low fat natural yoghurt, buttermilk or evaporated skim milk mixed with a little lemon juice

Coconut cream/milk
- Use evaporated skim milk with a little coconut essence.

Cheese (variable fat content)
- Use smaller amounts of lower fat varieties such as mozzarella, bocconcini, ricotta or cottage cheese
- Mix cheese with oats, breadcrumbs or wheat germ for toppings on casseroles and baked dishes

Mayonnaise/dressing (1 Tbsp = 6.5g)
- Use low fat yoghurt, ricotta or buttermilk with added garlic, lemon, mustard, tomato paste, vinegars, fruit juices, pepper or herbs

Pastry (1 sheet puff pastry = 18g fat)
- Use filo pastry and moisten between the layers with egg white, water, stock or low fat yoghurt
- Make low fat pastry by mixing two cups of self raising flour, 250g ricotta cheese and 4 Tbsp low fat milk. Mix and knead.

Meat and Poultry
- Choose lean cuts of meat and keep your portions small
- Make your own mince or ask your butcher to mince lean cuts of meat for you
- For a bit of variety and to add bulk to mince dishes, add grated vegetables such as carrot and zucchini
- Remove visible fat before cooking
- Use marinades, herbs and garlic to add flavour

Cakes and Biscuits
- Choose recipes with less fat and use poly/monounsaturated margarine
- Experiment with using buttermilk or low fat milk to replace some of the fat, using egg whites instead of whole eggs and adding fruits and vegetables such as banana or carrot.

If you find it difficult to modify your own recipes there are a range of low fat cookbooks available from supermarkets, newsagents and bookstores. You can also try online recipe collections from Taste and the National Heart Foundation.

2. Reduce

If a high fat or high energy ingredient can’t be substituted, try using a little less of it. When baking you should be able to reduce the amount of fat or sugar by a quarter to a third without changing the final product too drastically.

Remember that if you remove moisture you need to replace it. So to make up for less oil, add a little more water or low fat milk.

3. Eliminate

If a high fat or high energy ingredient isn't strictly necessary (i.e. it is used for presentation or extra flavour) you can remove it. For example you can omit bacon from pasta sauce.

With these ideas you should be ready to experiment with new low fat dishes at home. But if you need further inspiration, speak to a Dietitian.