Top Ten Tips To Control Your Fat Intake
- Include plenty of high fibre, lower fat whole grains, vegetables and fruit each day as suggested in Eating Well with Canada’s Food Guide. Enjoy their true flavour. Limit sauces and spreads.
- Choose lower fat milk products such as skim, 1% or 2% milk, and yogurt or cottage cheese made with less than 2% milk fat. Have cheese in small amounts – a Food Guide Serving is 50 grams (1 ½ oz) – the size of 3 one-inch cubes.
- Choose fish, poultry and lean meats, with fat and skin removed. A Food Guide Serving size is 75 g (2 ½ oz), which is about the size and thickness of a deck of cards.
- Have foods that are steamed, baked or broiled more often than fried foods.
- Have more meals made with meat alternatives, such as beans, peas, lentils and tofu.
- Limit rich desserts and baked goods.
- Cut down on all fats. Use polyunsaturated fats (soybean, corn, safflower, sunflower oils and soft margarines) and monounsaturated fats (olive and canola oils) in place of saturated fats (lard, butter and hard margarine).
- Choose lower fat snack foods such as light microwave or air popped popcorn (without added butter or topping) and pretzels.
- Read package labels and choose lower fat versions of salad dressings, frozen foods, cream soups, etc. To be called "low fat", a food must contain less than 3 grams of fat per serving.
- Flavour foods without adding fat by using lemon, salsa, mustard, ketchup, herbs and spices.