Health Tip #:004

Cut The Fat Out of Your Diet

To reduce the risk of heart disease, health experts recommend a diet with no more the 30 percent of daily calories from fat, fewer than 10 percent of calories from saturated fat, and no more than 300 milligrams of cholesterol. This is especially important for people with diabetes because they have a greater risk of heart disease.

Here are some tips for cutting the fat in meals:

• Avoid high-fat foods, such as fatty meats, whole milk dairy products, stick margarine, butter, and rich desserts.
• Look for reduced-fat or fat-free products at the supermarket, but analyze them carefully. Some may fit into a diabetic meal plan. Others may reduce or eliminate fat but add sugars or starches that could throw off your carbohydrate count.
• Trim all visible fat from meats or poultry. Remove the skin from poultry.
• Use tuna packed in water, not oil.
• Bake, broil. Grill, poach, steam, or microwave foods instead of frying.
• Omit the butter, margarine, or cooking oil called for in package directions when cooking rice or pasta.
• Select frozen vegetables made without butter or sauces.
• When browning meat, coat the cold pan with nonstick cooking spray and skip, or use less, cooking oil.
• Reduce cholesterol by substituting two egg whites or ¼ cup egg substitute for one whole egg in recipes.

With these simple changes you can make a healthy difference in the long run for you and your family as well.