If you want to have a healthy body you need to reduce your consumption of fats, especially saturated fat and trans fatty acids. Reducing these types of fats in your diet by using low-fat recipes has many health benefits including weight loss and reducing your risk of heart disease.
Cooking Low Fat recipes does not mean sacrificing flavor and taste. You can enjoy many of the foods you love with just a few changes.
If you are trying to shed pounds, remember that calories do count! To lose weight, you must burn more calories than you consume.
Our bodies need some essential fatty acids to function properly. We also need some fats in our diet in order to provide the fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K.
8 Low Fat Recipes
VEGETABLE SALAD WITH BROWN RICE
2 cups cooked brown rice
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup shredded, unpeeled zucchini
2 tablespoons finely chopped onions
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon salt Pepper to taste
In a medium bowl, combine rice, carrots, zucchini, and onions. Toss well. In a small bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Pour over rice mixture; toss thoroughly. Chill at least 2 hours before serving.
Serves 4. Per serving: 151 calories, 4 grams fat, 0 milligrams cholesterol, 26 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 3 grams protein, 140 milligrams sodium.
HONEY CHICKEN
1-1/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast
3 tablespoons reduced-calorie mayonnaise
1-1/2 ounces barley nugget cereal (Grape Nuts or similar), crushed
1-1/2 tablespoons honey
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Wash chicken and pat dry. Place in a shallow baking pan. Using a pastry brush or a spoon, spread mayonnaise over both sides of chicken. Sprinkle crushed cereal evenly on top of chicken. Drizzle with honey. Let chicken stand at room temperature for 10 minutes. Bake, uncovered, 45 minutes.
Serves 4. Per serving: 228 calories, 2 grams fat, 82 milligrams cholesterol, 17 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 34 grams protein, 309 milligrams sodium.
PEACH BLINTZES
1 cup low-fat cottage cheese, at room temperature
3 ounces light cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
4 fat-free 8-inch flour tortillas
1 peach, peeled, pitted, and sliced
Sauce:
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 peaches, peeled, pitted, and thinly sliced
Beat cottage cheese, cream cheese, and vanilla until well blended. Heat a 10-inch nonstick skillet. Briefly heat one tortilla over medium heat just until soft, turning once. Remove tortilla from pan; spoon 1/4 of cheese mixture into center. Top with 1/4 of peach slices. Fold two sides of tortilla to center. Roll up from narrow end to enclose filling. Repeat with remaining filling and tortillas. Heat filled tortillas over medium-low heat until browned. Serve with warm sauce. Sauce: Combine water, sugar, and lemon juice in small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Boil, uncovered, 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in peaches.
Per serving: 246 calories, 6 grams fat, 19 milligrams cholesterol, 37 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams fiber, 13 grams protein, 654 milligrams sodium. Serves 4.
SOUR CREAM DILL SCONES
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup light margarine, at room temperature
2 eggs, at room temperature, beaten
1/2 cup light sour cream, at room temperature
1 teaspoon dried dill weed
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in large bowl. Cut in margarine with pastry blender or fork until mixture resembles crumbs. Combine eggs, sour cream, and dill; mix well. Stir into flour mixture until mixture forms a soft dough that leaves sides of bowl. Turn dough out onto a well-floured surface. Knead dough 10 times. Roll dough into a 9-inch by 6-inch rectangle. Using a floured knife, cut dough into six 3-inch squares. Cut each square diagonally in half to make 12 triangles. Place triangles 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until golden brown.
Makes 12. Per serving: 109 calories, 3 grams fat, 37 milligrams cholesterol, 16 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 1 gram protein, 261 milligrams sodium.
PORK TENDERLOIN WITH APPLESAUCE
2 1-pound pork tenderloins, fat trimmed off
1/4 cup apple juice
2/3 cup applesauce
1/4 cup chopped dry-roasted peanuts
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon finely crushed fennel seed
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Using a sharp knife, cut a lengthwise slit down the center of each tenderloin, almost to the bottom, to form a pocket. Place in a nonmetal baking dish. Pour apple juice into pockets and over tenderloins; cover dish. Marinate 2 hours in refrigerator. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray 15-inch by 10-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. In a small bowl, combine applesauce, peanuts, salt, fennel seed, and pepper; blend well. Spoon mixture into tenderloin pockets. Close pockets with wooden toothpicks. Place tenderloins in prepared pan. Roast 30 minutes, until a meat thermometer registers 155 degrees. Remove from oven; let stand 10 minutes.
Serves 8. Per serving: 183 calories, 6 grams fat, 74 milligrams cholesterol, 6 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 25 grams protein, 161 milligrams sodium.
COTTAGE CHEESE CITRUS SALAD
1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese
1-ounce slice light processed cheese, any flavor, diced
2 tablespoons chopped cucumber
1/2 fresh grapefruit, peeled and sectioned
Large lettuce leaf
In a small bowl, combine cottage cheese, cheese pieces, and cucumber. On a salad plate, arrange grapefruit on lettuce leaf. Top with cheese mixture.
Per serving: 209 calories, 3 grams fat, 11 milligrams cholesterol, 24 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams fiber, 22 grams protein, 633 milligrams sodium. Serves 1.
CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP
46 ounces fat-free chicken broth
1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
1-1/2 cups uncooked medium egg noodles
1 cup sliced carrots
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup sliced celery
1 teaspoon dill weed
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
In large saucepan, heat all ingredients over medium-high heat until mixture comes to a boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer, uncovered, 20 minutes, until chicken and noodles are done.
Serves 8. Per serving: 81 calories, 1 gram fat, 23 milligrams cholesterol, 9 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 15 grams protein, 368 milligrams sodium.
MOLASSES BRAN COOKIES
2 cups flour
1 cup 100 percent bran cereal
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup packed brown sugar
2/3 cup light margarine, at room temperature
1 egg, at room temperature
1/3 cup molasses
1/4 cup sugar
In a small bowl, combine flour, cereal, and baking soda; set aside. Beat brown sugar and margarine until creamy. Add egg and molasses; beat until smooth. Stir in flour mixture. Cover; refrigerate dough 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. With greased hands, shape dough into 48 (1-1/4 inch) balls; roll in sugar. Place on cookie sheets 2 inches apart. Lightly sprinkle balls with water. Bake 10 to 12 minutes.
Makes 4 dozen cookies. Per serving: 63 calories, 2 grams fat, 4 milligrams cholesterol, 12 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 1 gram protein, 97 milligrams sodium.
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