Welcome to the Walter Reed Army Medical Center - Recipes for Low-Fat, Low-Cholesterol Meals

Cooking Tips

Meats

Even lean meat has fat in it. Here are some ways to reduce the saturated fat in meat:

Use a rack to drain off the fat when broiling, roasting or baking. Instead of basting with drippings, keep meat moist with wine, fruit juices or an acceptable oil-based marinade.
Cook a day ahead of time. Stews, boiled meat, soup stock or other dishes in which fat cooks into the liquid can be refrigerated. Then the hardened fat can be removed from the top.
Make gravies after the fat has hardened and can be removed from the liquid.
Broil rather than pan-fry meats such as hamburger, lamb chops, pork chops and steak.
When a recipe calls for browning the meat first, try browning it under the broiler instead of in a pan.

Vegetables

Vegetables can be made more tempting by adding herbs and spices. For example, these combinations add new and subtle flavors:

rosemary with peas, cauliflower and squash;
oregano with zucchini;
dill with green beans;
marjoram with brussels sprouts, carrots and spinach; or
basil with tomatoes.

Start with a small quantity (1/8 to 1/2 teaspoon to a package of frozen vegetables); then let your own and your family's taste be your guide. Chopped parsley and chives, sprinkled on just before serving, also enhance the flavor of many vegetables.

Try cooking vegetables in a tiny bit of vegetable oil, adding a little water during cooking if needed, or use a vegetable oil spray. Only 1 to 2 teaspoons of oil is enough for a package of frozen vegetables that serves four. Place in a skillet with a tight cover, season, and cook over very low heat until vegetables are done.

Using Vegetable Oils

The liquid vegetable oils, or margarines that contain liquid unsaturated oil as the first ingredient and no more than 2 grams of saturated fatty acids per tablespoon, can be used in many ways in cooking that requires the use of fat. For example:

To brown lean meats and to pan or oven-fry fish and poultry.
To saute onions and other vegetables for soup.
In cream sauces and soups made with skim milk.
In whipped or scalloped potatoes with skim milk added.
For making hot breads, pie crust and cakes.
For popping corn and making cocktail snacks.
In casseroles made with dried peas or beans.
In browning rice and for Spanish or curried rice.
In cooking dehydrated potatoes and other prepared foods that call for fat to be added.
For pancakes or waffles.

Modifying Recipes

To control the amount and kind of fat, saturated fatty acids and dietary cholesterol you eat:

Select lean cuts of meat and trim off all visible fat before cooking.
Serve moderate portions, and try "low-meat" dishes featuring pasta, rice, beans and/or vegetables.
Use cooking methods that require little or no fat-boil, broil, bake, roast, poach, steam, saute, stir-fry or microwave.
Replace saturated fats with more healthful substitutes. For example, when your own recipe calls for butter, lard, bacon, bacon fat or chicken fat, use margarine that contains liquid unsaturated oil as the first ingredient and no more than 2 grams of saturated fatty acids per 1 tablespoon, or unsaturated vegetable oil. Here are some other recipe substitutions you can make:

Substitutions

When your own recipe calls for:	Use:
Whole Milk (1 cup)	1 cup of skim or nonfat milk plus 1 tablespoon of unsaturated oil
Heavy Cream (1 cup)	1 cup evaporated skim milk or 1/2 cup low-fat yogurt and 1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese.
Sour Cream	Low-fat cottage cheese plus low-fat yogurt for flavor; ricotta cheese made from partially skimmed milk (thinned with yogurt or buttermilk, if desired); one can of chilled evaporated skim milk whipped with one teaspoon of lemon juice; or low-fat buttermilk or low-fat yogurt.
Cream Cheese	4 tablespoons of margarine blended with 1 cup dry low-fat cottage cheese. Add a small amount of skim milk if needed in the blending mixture. Add chopped chives or pimiento and herbs and seasonings for variety.
Butter (1 tablespoon)	1 tablespoon polyunsaturated margarine or 3/4 tablespoon polyunsaturated oil.
Shortening (1 cup)	2 sticks polyunsaturated margarine.
Oil (1 cup)	1 1/4 cups polyunsaturated margarine.
Eggs (1 egg)	1 egg white plus 2 teaspoons of unsaturated oil or commercially produced cholesterol-free egg substitute according to package directions. 3 egg whites for 2 whole eggs; 2 egg whites for 1 whole egg in baking recipes.
Unsweetened Baking Chocolate (1 ounce)	3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder or carob powder plus 1 tablespoon of polyunsaturated oil or margarine. (Carob is sweeter than cocoa, so reduce the sugar in the recipe by one-fourth.)

Note: Many cheeses, although made with skim milk, have cream added to them. Check labels for cheeses with no more than 3 grams of fat per ounce.

Reducing Sodium

Most of us eat far more sodium than our bodies need. In some people, this can lead to high blood pressure. People with high blood pressure are more likely to develop stroke, heart disease and kidney disease. The AHA eating plan limits sodium intake to 2300 milligrams per day. That's a little more than a teaspoon of salt. People with high blood pressure may need stricter limits on sodium.

Most of the sodium in our diets is added, either during processing, while preparing food, or at the table. Here are some tips to help you reduce the sodium in your diet.

Use less salt or no salt at the table and in cooking.
Use herbs and spices in place of salt.
Limit your intake of foods high in added sodium:
You can reduce the salt in canned vegetables by draining the liquid and then rinsing them in water before eating.
Look for "unsalted" varieties of the canned foods and snack foods listed above. Some foods may be labeled "no salt" or "without added salt."
Ask restaurants not to add salt to your order.
Even bakery products and cereals can be major sources of sodium in the diet. So read the labels of all foods carefully.

Definitions

Saturated fatty acids are the main dietary culprit in raising blood cholesterol. And high blood cholesterol increases your risk of heart disease. The main sources of saturated fatty acids in the typical American diet are foods from animals and some plants.

Foods from animals that have high amounts of saturated fatty acids include beef, veal, lamb, pork, butter, cream, milk, cheeses and other dairy products made from whole milk. These foods also contain dietary cholesterol.
Foods from plants that contain high amounts of saturated fatty acids include coconut oil, palm oil and palm kernel oil (often called tropical oils) and cocoa butter. Read food labels when you shop. Many commercially baked cakes, pies, cookies, crackers and snacks are made with these oils.

The American Heart Association recommends that you limit your saturated fatty acid intake to less than 10 percent of total calories each day. The recipes in this booklet are low in saturated fatty acids.

Hydrogenated fat is made by treating unsaturated fat with a chemical process. In the case of margarine, the process allows an oil to be partially hardened and molded into tub or stick form. Fat for shortening can be hydrogenated to give it a creamy consistency. Hydrogenation also increases the time it takes before oils become rancid, so they stay fresh longer. The fatty acid content of most margarines and spreads is printed on the package or label. Select margarines with liquid vegetable oil as the first ingredient.

Polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids make up the total of unsaturated fatty acids. They are often found in liquid oils of vegetable origin. Common sources of polyunsaturated fatty acids are safflower, sesame and sunflower seeds, corn and soybeans, many nuts and seeds, and their oils. Canola, olive and peanut oils and avocados are sources of monounsaturated fatty acids.

Both types of unsaturated fatty acids may help lower your blood cholesterol level when used in place of saturated fatty acids in your diet. But you should be moderate in your intake of all types of fat. The AHA recommends that you limit polyunsaturated fatty acids to no more than 10 percent of your total calories. The rest of your unsaturated fatty acid intake, about 10 to 15 percent of total calories, is made up of monounsaturated fatty acids.

Unsaturated oils-and margarines and spreads made from unsaturated oils-should be used in limited amounts in place of fats with a high saturated fatty acid content, such as butter, lard, or hydrogenated shortenings.

Dietary cholesterol is found only in animal foods such as meat, fish, poultry and dairy products. These foods are also sources of saturated fatty acids. Egg yolks and organ meats-such as liver and kidney-are high in cholesterol. Foods from plants (fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts and seeds) do not contain cholesterol.

Dietary cholesterol can raise your blood cholesterol level, which results in an increased risk of heart disease. That's why the AHA recommends that you limit your cholesterol intake to 300 milligrams per day. The recipes in this booklet are low in dietary cholesterol.

Dietary fiber is the term used for several materials that make up the parts of plants that your body cannot digest. Fiber is classified as soluble or insoluble. The AHA eating plan suggests that you eat foods high in both types of fiber. Fruits, vegetables, whole grain foods, beans and legumes are all good sources of dietary fiber.