Instructions: Use Common Sense When Fending Off Fat
Donna Deane, Los Angeles Times

Deprivation diets may get the pounds off fast, but they wont help you keep the weight off. Over and over research shows that the most effective way to maintain a sensible body weight is simply to follow a sensible diet. Common sense is more important than kitchen scales and charts.

If you keep a low-fat kitchen - stocked with wonderful fresh foods, with a few useful gadgets and a little technical know-how on your part - you wont have to think too much about your diet. Eating and cooking good food will come naturally.

The problem for most people is that they are stuck in high-fat eating and cooking habits. A tablespoon of butter automatically goes in the skillet whenever anything is sauteed; oil is always used to dress salads; a large piece of meat is considered a necessary centerpiece of a meal.

There are alternatives - and they dont have to involve cabinets full of tasteless low-fat products. A well-seasoned cast-iron skillet, for instance, needs very little - and sometimes no - added fat for cooking. Lemon and other fruit juices brightened with fresh herbs make wonderful dressings. And meat can take a supporting role at dinner.

When your daily meals are based on seasonal produce, fresh fish and good cuts of meat flavored with fresh herbs, spices and chiles, the food that comes out of your own low-fat kitchen will always make you happy. Here are some healthy tips:

Choose lean cuts of beef. Look for the word ``loin or ``round on the package - these are often the leanest. Eye of round or top round comes in at four grams of fat per three-ounce cooked portion followed by top sirloin, round tip, roasted and full cut round, broiled at six grams of fat per three-ounce cooked portion. Tenderloin, porterhouse, T-bone, rib and flank steak contain nine grams of fat.

Dont automatically cut pork out. The leanest cut of pork is the tenderloin, which has a low 4.1 grams of fat per three-ounce cooked portion.

Trim fat from lamb before cooking. Loin chops that have been well-trimmed have about eight grams of fat per three-ounce cooked portion, while roasted leg of lamb has about seven grams of fat.

Look for white-meat poultry: skinless, boneless chicken breasts; turkey tenderloin; and turkey breast. Remove poultry skin after cooking instead of before to get the juiciest flavor.

Choose fish that is less oily for cooking. Sea bass, red snapper, sole, flounder and cod are good choices.

Trim meats of fat before cooking; 50 percent of the fat in the portion youre using can be eliminated.

Use fresh fruit and vegetable salsas as accompaniments to main dish items. These can be made fat-free.

Increase herbs and seasonings in a low-fat dish to compensate for the flavor lost from the reduced fat.

Boost flavor by adding fresh minced or crushed garlic. A squeeze of fresh lemon or lime juice, a touch of vinegar or a sprinkling of chopped fresh herbs are also good flavor enhancements.

Dry spice rubs or spice blends add flavor without fat when smoothed onto the surface of meat and allowed to stand before cooking.

Use a slurry of cornstarch and water as a thickener rather than a buttery roux.

Roasting vegetables at high heat caramelizes the sugar and adds sweetness along with flavor.

When preparing soups or stews, make them ahead of time, then chill them in the refrigerator so the fat can rise to the top. Just before reheating, remove the layer of fat from the surface.

Canned white beans can be used to thicken some dressings and sauces. When pureed they add a neutral thickening base with little fat.

Highly flavored condiments, such as hoisin, soy sauce, oyster sauce, hot sauces and chile sauces, add flavor with little fat.

BAKING IN A LOW-FAT KITCHEN

Try using cake flour when baking low-fat products for a lighter texture.

When baking, use chopped, dried fruits instead of high-fat nuts or chocolate chips.

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