Low Fat Cooking

1. Low Fat Cooking Virginia Bennett, PhD, RD

2. Fats and Oils • Function of fats in the diet: • Flavor, aroma and palatability • Satiety and sense of fullness • Concentrated source of energy • Essential nutrients • Important role in baked goods

3. Properties of Fat • Smoking point – point at which fat smokes when heated • Rancidity • Saturated fats-primarily from animal sources • Monounsaturated fats – olive or canola oil

4. Properties of Fat • Polyunsaturated fats – vegetable • Fatty acids – end product of fat digestion • Essential fatty acids • Hydrogenation-addition of hydrogen to liquid oils

5. Fats and Oils • Lard – rendered from hogs • Butter • Margarine • Corn, soybean, safflower, etc • Stick and soft or tub • Shortening

6. Fats an Oils • Salad oils • Corn • Safflower • Cottonseed • Soybean • Peanut • Canola • Sunflower • olives

7. Fat Content of Various Foods

8. Role of Fat in Baked Products • Tenderize or “shorten” gluten strands • Leavening agent • Moisture and flavor • Emulsifying agent

9. Reducing the Fat in Baked Products • Choose a fat substitute compatible with your recipe • Consider flavors that work best with your recipe • Some recipes work better than others

10. Reducing the Fat in Baked Products • Fruitful fat substitutes – fruit purees, applesauce, fruit juices • Dairy fat substitutes – nonfat yogurt and buttermilk • Prunes • Squash and sweet potatoes

11. Reducing the Fat in Baked Products • Eliminate one half the fat in your recipe – if recipe calls for 8 T, eliminate 4T • Replace with one half of fat substitute – replace with 2 T • Evaluate

12. Reducing the Fat in Baked Products • Cakes which use creaming to get their volume • Whip egg whites and fold into batter • Bake reduced fat products at a slightly lower temperature • Do not over bake

13. Reduced Fat Cooking • Start with lean cuts of meat, fish and poultry • Trim off visible fat • Avoid deep-fat foods • Bake, broil, poach, steam or microwave

14. Reduced Fat Cooking • Avoid frying in oils or other fats – use non-stick spray or a broth • Use egg substitutes or egg whites • Switch to skim or 1% milk

15. Reduced Fat Cooking • Try nonfat or reduced fat salad dressings • Use reduced calorie mayonaise • Enjoy nonfat yogurts • Tuna packed in water • Legumes instead of meat

16. Reduced Fat Cooking • Limit cheeses or use low fat • Limit high fat meats – use substitutes (grd turkey, meat substitutes) • Refrigerate soups and stews, remove hardened fat

17. Reduced Fat Cooking • Try butter substitutes (Molly McButter, etc)

18. Worth Trying

19. Worth Trying