You can choose one of the following ways and foods to reduce unhealthy fat:
Eat at home to reduce unhealthy fat
- Pasta Bolognese: use low-fat minced meat because it has less saturated fat. If you don’t use low-fat minced meat, brown the minced meat first, then drain the fat before adding other ingredients. Alternatively, mix the minced meat with a meatless minced meat alternative.
- Pizza: choose lower-fat toppings, such as vegetables, chicken, tuna and other seafood, instead of adding cheese or processed meats such as pepperoni, salami and bacon.
- Fish cakes: use low-fat butter and skim milk to reduce the fat in the mash and sauce.
- Chili: use low-fat minced meat or mix it with a meatless minced meat alternative. Or, make a vegetarian chili using mixed beans, some lentils and vegetables. Beans and lentils can also count towards your 5 A Day.
- French fries: Choose thick, straight-cut fries instead of French fries or waffle fries to reduce the surface area exposed to fat. If you make your own, cook them in the oven with a little vegetable oil and leave the skin on instead of deep-frying.
- Potatoes: Make your baked potatoes healthier by cutting them into larger pieces than usual and using only a little sunflower or olive oil.
- Mashed potatoes: Use reduced-fat butter instead of butter and skim milk instead of whole or semi-skimmed milk.
- Chicken: Choose leaner cuts of meat, such as chicken breasts. Remove the skin before eating to reduce saturated fat.
- Bacon: Choose back bacon instead of fatty bacon. Bake instead of fry.
- Eggs: Cook eggs without oil or butter. Boil, poach, or dry fry your eggs.
- Pasta: Try tomato sauce on your pasta. It has less saturated fat than cream or cheese sauces.
- Milk: Use skim milk for cereals and hot drinks. It has about half the saturated fat of partially skim milk.
- Cheese: When using cheese to flavor a dish or sauce, try a strong-flavored cheese, such as aged low-fat cheddar, as you will need less cheese. Make the cheese more flavorful by grating it instead of slicing it.
- Yogurt: Choose low-fat and low-sugar yogurt. There can be big differences between different products, so check the nutrition label.
Eating out to reduce unhealthy fat
- Coffee: Swap your large single-serve coffee for a regular “skimmed” coffee. Avoid adding cream on top.
- Curries: Choose dry or tomato-based dishes, such as tandoori or madras, over creamy curries like korma, pasanda or masala. Choose white rice and chapatti over pilaf and naan bread.
- Kebabs: Choose grilled meat skewers with pitta bread and salad over doner kebabs.
- Choose low-fat dishes, such as steamed fish, stir-fried chicke.
- Snack time: Replace foods high in sugar, salt and fat, such as chocolate, doughnuts and cakes, with:
- a small piece of fruit
- whole meal toast
- low-fat, low-sugar yoghurt
- a small handful of unsalted nuts
- a raisin cake
- a slice of fruit bread
- a slice of rye bread
