Low Fat Cooking Techniques

Cooking the Low-fat Way

There's a wealth of healthy options for preparing meat, poultry, seafood and vegetables:

• Broiling is a fast way to prepare meat, poultry, fish and even vegetables. Food is cooked under a direct heat source, and the fat drains away into the bottom of the broiling pan.
• Braising means cooking food slowly on low heat in a little water, wine or broth in a tightly covered pot or Dutch oven. Braising can be done on top of the stove or in the oven. You should brown the food first to create a crust that seals in the foods moisture. Use a heart-healthy oil like canola or olive for browning. Braising is especially good for tougher cuts of meat.
• Grilling is cooking food over hot coals or a fuel such as gas. It's a naturally low-fat cooking method because the fat drains away from the food. Meat, poultry, fish and veggies are all well suited to grilling.
• Microwaving cooks food from all directions. The key is turning the food frequently to ensure that it cooks evenly. Microwaving works well with fish, poultry and vegetables.
• Poaching means gently simmering food, especially poultry or seafood, in broth, wine or water.
• Roasting uses the dry heat of the oven. Typically, food roasted uncovered in a shallow pan yields a tender center with a nice exterior crust. Roasting doesn't use liquid, although you can baste meats and poultry with broth or a low-fat marinade. Choose tender cuts of meat or poultry.
• Steaming is cooking food on a rack or in a steamer basket over simmering water in a covered pot. Because steaming is gentler than boiling, it doesn't wash away a food's nutrients, and it preserves flavor and texture.
• Stir-frying is heart-healthy and easy: All you do is cook vegetables in a small amount of oil, stirring as you're cooking, and then add beef, chicken or seafood and continue cooking. The food cooks quickly, and vegetables stay crisp-tender.

Remember: A low-fat diet starts in your kitchen. If most of your cooking consists of breading and deep-frying, its time to change your ways! So, break out the roasting pan, steamer basket and wok and start eating the healthy, low-fat way!