Start with the newly revised Dietary Guidelines and go from there. Updated every five years, the current Dietary Guidelines for Americans were published in May, 2000. They emphasize balance, moderation and variety in food choices, with a special emphasis on grain products, vegetables and fruits. The new guidelines also emphasize physical activity as important for healthy living, more than just for weight management. For example, physical activity can help build and maintain healthy bones, muscles, and joints; build endurance and muscular strength; and promote psychological well-being and self-esteem.

Choose Sensibly:

Choose a diet that is low in saturated fat and cholesterol and moderate in total fat.
Choose beverages and foods to moderate your intake of sugars.
Choose and prepare foods with less salt.
If you drink alcoholic beverages, do so in moderation.

Build a Healthy Base:

Let the Pyramid guide your food choices.
Choose a variety of grains daily, especially whole grains.
Keep food safe to eat.

Aim for Fitness:

Aim for a healthy weight.
Be physically active each day.

Learn to prepare favorite recipes in new, more healthful ways. Make adjustments in the types and amounts of ingredients in recipes so that the end result is just as satisfying but fits better with the Dietary Guidelines.

In general, limit the use of butter, cream, whole milk, most cheeses, hard margarine, shortening, lard, coconut, palm oils, and foods containing them.

TIP: Begin by changing 1 or 2 foods, then slowly change from high fat to low-fat foods.

Keep reading for practical suggestions that will help you prepare foods healthfully.

To Decrease Total Fat and Calories

• Try reducing fat by one-fourth to one–third in baked products. For example, if a recipe calls for 1 cup of oil, try 2/3 cup. This works best in quick breads, muffins and cookies. It may not work as well for cakes. (If you reduce the fat, reduce the sugar also.)
• In casseroles and main dishes, cut back or even eliminate added fat. For example, browning meat in added fat is unnecessary because some fat will drain from the meat as it cooks. Use a nonstick pan or cooking spray.
• Sauté or stir-fry vegetables with very little fat or use water, wine or broth.
• To thicken sauces and gravies without lumping, eliminate the fat, and instead, mix cornstarch or flour with a small amount of cold liquid. Whisk this mixture slowly into the hot liquid you want to thicken and bring it back to a boil.
• Chill soups, gravies and stews and skim off visible fat. Remove skin from poultry.
• Bake, broil, grill, poach or microwave meat, poultry or fish instead of frying in fat.
• Decrease the proportion of oil in homemade salad dressings. Try one-third oil to two-thirds vinegar.
• Use reduced-calorie sour cream or mayonnaise, or to reduce fat further, use plain low-fat or non-fat yogurt, buttermilk, blended cottage cheese or yogurt cheese* instead of regular sour cream or mayonnaise for sauces, dips and salad dressings. If a sauce made with yogurt is to be heated, add 1 tablespoon cornstarch to 1 cup of yogurt to prevent separation.
• Use skim or low-fat milk instead of whole milk. For extra richness, try evaporated skim milk.

To Decrease Saturated Fat and Cholesterol

• Use two egg whites or an egg substitute product instead of one whole egg. In some recipes you can simply decrease the total number of eggs.
• Look for butter alternatives in which liquid vegetable oil is the first ingredient. Also, look for products that are free of trans fat.
• Avoid products containing hydrogenated fats.
• Use vegetable oils instead of solid fats. To substitute liquid oil for solid fats, use about ¼ less than the recipes calls for. For example, if a recipe calls for ¼ cup of solid fat (4 tablespoons), Use 3 tablespoons of oil. For cakes or pie crusts, use a recipe that specifically calls for oil because liquid fats require special mixing procedures and different proportions of sugar.

* Ask your Cornell Cooperative Extension educator for information about making yogurt cheese.

Portions of this information sheet come from "Revitalize Your Recipes for Better Health", DNS Fact Sheet 2, Cornell University.

Choose Sensibly:

Choose a diet that is low in saturated fat and cholesterol and moderate in total fat.
Choose beverages and foods to moderate your intake of sugars.
Choose and prepare foods with less salt.
If you drink alcoholic beverages, do so in moderation.

Build a Healthy Base:

Let the Pyramid guide your food choices.
Choose a variety of grains daily, especially whole grains.
Keep food safe to eat.

Aim for Fitness:

Aim for a healthy weight.
Be physically active each day.

Learn to prepare favorite recipes in new, more healthful ways. Make adjustments in the types and amounts of ingredients in recipes so that the end result is just as satisfying but fits better with the Dietary Guidelines.

In general, limit the use of butter, cream, whole milk, most cheeses, hard margarine, shortening, lard, coconut, palm oils, and foods containing them.

TIP: Begin by changing 1 or 2 foods, then slowly change from high fat to low-fat foods.

Keep reading for practical suggestions that will help you prepare foods healthfully.

To Decrease Total Fat and Calories

• Try reducing fat by one-fourth to one–third in baked products. For example, if a recipe calls for 1 cup of oil, try 2/3 cup. This works best in quick breads, muffins and cookies. It may not work as well for cakes. (If you reduce the fat, reduce the sugar also.)
• In casseroles and main dishes, cut back or even eliminate added fat. For example, browning meat in added fat is unnecessary because some fat will drain from the meat as it cooks. Use a nonstick pan or cooking spray.
• Sauté or stir-fry vegetables with very little fat or use water, wine or broth.
• To thicken sauces and gravies without lumping, eliminate the fat, and instead, mix cornstarch or flour with a small amount of cold liquid. Whisk this mixture slowly into the hot liquid you want to thicken and bring it back to a boil.
• Chill soups, gravies and stews and skim off visible fat. Remove skin from poultry.
• Bake, broil, grill, poach or microwave meat, poultry or fish instead of frying in fat.
• Decrease the proportion of oil in homemade salad dressings. Try one-third oil to two-thirds vinegar.
• Use reduced-calorie sour cream or mayonnaise, or to reduce fat further, use plain low-fat or non-fat yogurt, buttermilk, blended cottage cheese or yogurt cheese* instead of regular sour cream or mayonnaise for sauces, dips and salad dressings. If a sauce made with yogurt is to be heated, add 1 tablespoon cornstarch to 1 cup of yogurt to prevent separation.
• Use skim or low-fat milk instead of whole milk. For extra richness, try evaporated skim milk.

To Decrease Saturated Fat and Cholesterol

• Use two egg whites or an egg substitute product instead of one whole egg. In some recipes you can simply decrease the total number of eggs.
• Look for butter alternatives in which liquid vegetable oil is the first ingredient. Also, look for products that are free of trans fat.
• Avoid products containing hydrogenated fats.
• Use vegetable oils instead of solid fats. To substitute liquid oil for solid fats, use about ¼ less than the recipes calls for. For example, if a recipe calls for ¼ cup of solid fat (4 tablespoons), Use 3 tablespoons of oil. For cakes or pie crusts, use a recipe that specifically calls for oil because liquid fats require special mixing procedures and different proportions of sugar.

* Ask your Cornell Cooperative Extension educator for information about making yogurt cheese.

Portions of this information sheet come from "Revitalize Your Recipes for Better Health", DNS Fact Sheet 2, Cornell University.