Cut the fat!

By Hélène Laurendeau

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After the holidays, any resolution is worthwhile to reduce your fat consumption. We offer some ideas on how to cut fat from your diet, whether you simply want to shed some pounds or to gain more control over your health.

Here is a table of reference to check out for those who want to reduce their fat intake without sacrificing taste!

Instead of this	Choose that!
Sausage, salami and mortadella	Opt for lean cold meats in your sandwiches or paninis: turkey breast, ham, roast beef or pork, prosciutto or pastrami.
Bacon or lardon	Add diced smoked ham (Black Forest) to your pasta dish or Ceasar salad.
Potatoes fried in oil	Coat your cut potatoes in a little canola or olive oil, place on a baking sheet and cook at a high temperature in the oven.
Potato chip	Munch on some pretzels or plain popcorn. Make pita chips by cutting each pita into triangles, then place the pieces on a baking sheet and dry in the oven for a few minutes.
Mayonnaise	Spread a thin layer of pesto on your sandwich (basil or sun-dried tomato) or a yogurt-based spread (tzaziki), vegetable spread (red pepper, eggplant, guacamole) or a legume spread (hummus, lentil).
Cream soups	Adding cream is not always necessary if soup is thick enough: just add less broth when you put your vegetables in the blender.
Rich desserts	Save the fat (and some money) by replacing 35% cream with 15% country cream. If you like the taste, you can also replace half the cream in a recipe (ex. panna cotta) with 1% buttermilk.
Croissant, Danishes, brioches	If you have a sweet tooth, spread honey or maple butter on a good raisin or nut bread. Pancakes and French toast with fresh fruit on the side are also tasty and healthy choices.
Quick breads and muffins	Replace half the quantity of oil in a recipe with unsweetened applesauce or prune puree (throw an equal amount of prunes and hot water in the blender). You can do the same with dried apricots. As an added bonus, you get fibre, vitamins and minerals.
Sour cream	Use plain yogurt or thick labneh (strained yogurt). You can also strain plain yogurt through a cheesecloth, leaving it to drip for a thicker consistency.
Fresh cream	Cut the 40% content of crean in half with thick plain yogurt (Greek type). This is the secret of many pastry chefs!
Ice cream	Treat yourself to sorbet made with fresh fruit or frozen yogurt. Yogurt tubes can also be frozen. If your theeth are not sensitive to cold, enjoy some thawed frozen fruit: mango, blueberry, raspberry or grape cubes.