DH's doc wants him on a low fat/ultra-low fat diet right now, but of course didn't offer any help on how to achieve that (recipes, suggestions, etc.).
Since I'm the "cook" in the house, I would really appreciate any help you guys could give, especially those who have been on a low-fat diet per doc's recommendation. Do you have any tried & true recipes you can share? Do you have any cooking tips?
Any help or ideas is much appreciated!
I just wanted to thank everyone for help with this. Your suggestions and advice were very helpful.
I have high cholesterol and hubby's diabetic so I have to try for the healthier meals too. I go to www.kraftfoods.com, www.betterrecipes.com, www.recipes.com, www.sparkpeople.com and www.allrecipes.com for ideas since all of them have healthy recipe sections.
I've been on a low fat diet for medical reasons in the past. You could ask for an appt with a nutritionist. Cooking Light has a magazine and a website with ideas. Generally, I've found that most high fat things have substitutes and you can get used to them, although it can take a few weeks to adjust. I often cook with cooking spray instead of oil. I use only skim milk and reduced fat cheeses. I read labels. If I'm going to a restaurant or fast food restaurant sometimes I look up nutrition information on line or in advance (can be surprising!). I skip the high fat side dishes and substitute fruit. I eat a lot of poultry and fish and not much red meat. When I do get red meat I make sure I get the leanest version or cut available. Ground turkey can be substituted in most recipes calling for ground beef, although read labels there too because not all ground turkey is the same. So, I don't have any specific recipes for you, but if you look around at the store you will find that many things have reduced fat versions (mayo, salad dressings, etc.). I love pizza and french fries. Now, I eat them in moderation, but I eat only vegetarian pizzas or I make homemade with reduced fat mozzarella. When I really have a french fry craving I will cut up some potatoes, spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray, put a little olive oil on the potatoes and bake them in the oven. Voila! Lower fat french "fries." Even my kids like them. Good luck.
skinnytaste.com has great recipes. And it is easy.
i found this website
http://www.lowfatlifestyle.com/recipefolder/recipeindex.htm
For starters, get a subscription to Cooking Light. They have low-fat recipes that aren't gross ... in fact, our favorite recipes all come from them. We have yet to find a dud. You can also search their online recipes. Weight Watchers also has some super low-fat recipes and you can access those through their magazine or books when you're not on their plan. The American Heart Assn. also publishes recipes, although I've had less luck with them.
My big cooking tip is not to assume certain cuts of meat are worse than others. For instance, top sirloin and pork tenderloin are both lean cuts of meat and can often be better choices than chicken or turkey. Definitely look for recipes that list the fat content so you know exactly what you're getting; don't assume. It can be pretty shocking the fat content in certain recipes.
Go to allrecipes.com. Fantastic recipes for what you need.
This is probably not helpful but low-fat on the carton is not always a good indicator of low fat. You have to read labels on everything. Stick to lean cuts of meat. Low fat and skim milk are better choices. Raw fruit and vegies always the best. Portions is also the key. More of vegies on plate than meat. They have that new plate picture to show how we are to eat. Mary Lou Henner has some good books about eating and some recipes. Stay away from processed foods. Fish. Are there certain kinds of food he should avoid all together. If you still not sure ask the doctor to recommend a nutritionist. He or she can look at your DH's existing diet and make recommendations. Also check out Dr OZ's website. A lot of stuff there.
Hi A.C.
I am living abroad right now, and where I live people eat a great deal of olive oil. Not alot in one sitting, but measured. They have big delicious salads with a tad of olive oil and salt. Delicious and filling. Add low fat white cheese and some bread and you have a low fat meal. In addition, fish grilled with only a bit of olive oil and salt is also low fat and tasty.
Lastly, low fat yogurt with fruit.
HTH Jilly
Make vegetarian meals 3x a week. You can also google low fat recipe for x (Whatever you feel like making) and see what comes up. Don't go too low fat - make sure he is eating healthy fats or else your body will want to store more fat. Make sure there is fat from avocados and other healthy fats every day (can google healthy fats to give you ideas). Try to have him stop eating sugar and refined grains too bc this makes you put on weight. Good luck!
It's not too hard to make something low fat but I will be honest and tell you that sometimes making something low fat doesn't taste the same (and sometimes I think it tastes better).
Some simple steps you can take: Use skim milk instead of whole milk.
You can substitute oil with applesauce (more for baking. OR if it calls for 1/2 a cup of oil, use 1/4c oil and 1/4c applesauce. It won't change the consistency of what you are baking at all. I do that all the time with my brownies. Also if you are making brownies instead of applesauce you can use puree prunes. I know it sounds disgusting but you don't taste the prunes at all.) You can also use low fat yogurt and substitute that with oil (again if you are baking).
Check out this site: http://www.fodsupport.org/nutrition.htm There's links to lowfat diet recipes, the American Diabetic Association (which is filled with recipes) etc.
I actually have a metabolic disorder and I have to eat low-fat meals or sometimes even low-low-fat meals. But this site can help you with different ideas and tricks.
Updated
It's not too hard to make something low fat but I will be honest and tell you that sometimes making something low fat doesn't taste the same (and sometimes I think it tastes better).
Some simple steps you can take: Use skim milk instead of whole milk.
You can substitute oil with applesauce (more for baking. OR if it calls for 1/2 a cup of oil, use 1/4c oil and 1/4c applesauce. It won't change the consistency of what you are baking at all. I do that all the time with my brownies. Also if you are making brownies instead of applesauce you can use puree prunes. I know it sounds disgusting but you don't taste the prunes at all.) You can also use low fat yogurt and substitute that with oil (again if you are baking).
Check out this site: http://www.fodsupport.org/nutrition.htm There's links to lowfat diet recipes, the American Diabetic Association (which is filled with recipes) etc.
I actually have a metabolic disorder and I have to eat low-fat meals or sometimes even low-low-fat meals. But this site can help you with different ideas and tricks.
