Cut the fat

You know that eating lower-fat foods is a smart move for your heart and cholesterol levels. Guess what? You don't have to give up all of your favorite treats to make healthier choices. Try these three simple steps to slash the fat in your diet today.

Take stock
You know that butter and oil are high in fat, but you may be overlooking some hidden sources of fat. Take a look at the labels on the foods in your fridge and cupboards, suggests Calgary registered dietitian Samara Felesky-Hunt. You may be surprised at how much fat you'll find in some of your favorites, such as crackers and salad dressings. "Try to limit the saturated fat in your diet, which increases "bad" LDL cholesterol levels," Felesky says. "And avoid trans fat, found in products made with hydrogenated oil, which not only increases bad cholesterol levels, but also decreases "good" HDL cholesterol levels." If you're consuming 2,000 calories a day, your fat intake should not exceed 65 grams.

Make simple switches
Even small changes to your diet can make a difference when it comes to cutting back on fat. Instead of using cream or whole milk in your coffee, switch to 1 per cent or skim. Opt for mustard on your sandwich instead of mayonnaise and swap your creamy salad dressing for lower-fat varieties. Select cheeses, such as partly-skimmed mozzarella, which contain less than 20 per cent milk fat so they're lower fat without compromising flavour. And go for ground turkey in chili and casseroles occasionally instead of ground hamburger.

Try our lower-fat meal plan
Try our lower-fat meal plan for one week and you'll see that switching to a healthier diet is easy and delicious. With menu suggestions for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks, along with delicious triple-tested Chatelaine recipes, this dietitian-designed plan takes the fuss out of making lower-fat choices.

		10 Low-fat recipes

	Cut the fat, but not the taste, with 10 easy recipes, all with only 6 grams of fat or less per serving. · 8-vegetable bean ragout · Acton's Shanghai noodles · BBQ pork and broccoli stir-fry · Barbecued Far Eastern chicken with warm rice salad · Crispy-coated French chicken · Easy gourmet scallops and shrimp · Indian-spiced ratatouille · Oriental pork with roasted sweet potato wedges · Spicy Oriental-style fish stew · Thai mussels