14 tips on how to eat less fat

By Heather

Fat is a necessary part of a healthy diet but nowadays many of us regularly exceed our recommended fat intake. The average man should eat no more than 95g of fat in a day and the average women needs no more than 70g (food.gov.uk). 

Excess fat consumption causes weight gain and increased vulnerability to all the problems borne of being being overweight. Here are some tips that will help you cut on fat:

1. Use less fat in the preparation of food:

• Onions don't have to be fried - I was surprised by this too, I now regularly boil mine instead!
• Develop a taste for boiled meat - it is less tasty than the fried equivalent but it still tastes good.
• Don't add oil to boiled pasta or rice - they taste just the same without the oil and no, they won't stick to the pan; turn the hob off earlier to ensure nothing sticks to the base.

2. Choose less fatty foods when you eat out and when you prepare your own meals:

Fried food is a major problem, it makes non-fatty foods fatty e.g. egg fried rice (just boil rice), fried steaks, chicken and other meats. If it says fried, avoid it. The best dishes to go for are those that are: 

• Grilled
• Baked (except cakes and the like, of course)
• Steamed
• Boiled 
• Broiled or
• Poached

If you eat out, eat what is best for your health not what you necessarily feel like eating. Trust me, this takes getting used to but if you can do this even 50% of the time, you will be doing your waistline a massive favour.

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3. Learn which foods have a lot of fat and eat less of them. 

Foods that contain a lot of fat include:

• cheese
• fried meat
• fried anything
• sunflower seeds
• cookies and cakes
• lard, butter, margarine
• potato chips and tortilla chips
• bacon, weiners, polony, canned meats
• fast foods, like hamburgers and french fries
• milkshakes and smoothies with lots of yoghurt

4. If you eat a lot of dairy (milk, yoghurt, cream and so on) choose the low-fat or reduced fat range.

5. Remove fatty snacks from your regular diet. 

Consider these treats. You should only need to treat yourself irregularly

If you love nuts, stop buying them regularly. Nuts are actually a major stumbling block of mine, I love them and so does my husband so although I try not to buy them, he does! I've asked him to keep them at work but he doesn't want to! He doesn't like touching food with his fingers in a hospital - major problem if you're a nut-loving doctor.

6. Change your meat consumption pattern

• Buy leaner cuts of meat i.e. meat with less fat on it. 
• Eat less meat! Do you normally have two sausage or two pieces of chicken? Totally unnecessary, one piece is enough. I was always rationed one piece as a child and I have carried this habit into adulthood (well, most of the time). 
• Bulk stews up with beans and legumes to cut back on meat.

7. Handle fatty meat differently to lean meat.

If you do buy fatty meat, you can:

• Boil it and throw away the water to remove some of the fat. 
• Grilling the meat also leads to fat being lost. Siphon this excess fat off and throw it away - do not use it to make a sauce!
• Remove the fat from meat e.g. remove the pork rind and chicken skin and discard it. I have to be honest here and admit that I never throw away chicken skin. That's where all the flavour is!

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​8. Don't add fat to your meals and snacks. 

These are the main culprits for most people:

• Sauces (white sauce, tartar sauce)
• Salad dressing
• Mayo
• Butter or margarine

9. Make sandwiches without using a spread...

...you might not notice and if you do, you will get used to it. 

If you buy a sandwich, a bagel or a baguette, check how much spread has been added, if there is more than a sliver - scrape some off. Seriously, I do this. I find the French-styled cafe Paul a very big user of fat. I love my Paul baguettes but I always have to scrape the fat out.

10. Don't have a fried breakfast more than twice a week. 

If you are on holiday and want to treat yourself you can increase that but remain cautious. When I say no fried breakfast, I am including even something as simple as a one fried egg. No fried breakfasts!!

11. Eat more grains e.g. beans and lentils! 

They are very low in fat and high in fibre.

12. If you're lucky enough to have a cook or chef teach them how to use less fat. 

When you stock your cupboards with oil, butter etc, tell them how long you expect that stuff to last.

13. Need to grease a pan? Use spray oil. 

Some varieties provide only one calorie per spray! Alternatively, instead of pouring oil into the pan, measure it out using a tablespoon.

14. Take a packed lunch to work. 

You'll save money and calories. Lunch is one-third of your main meals and eating a restuarant bought lunch on daily basis will lead to a lot of extra fat consumption. Avoid it at all costs.

I hope these pointers help. If you follow the above rules you should be able to cut your consumption of fat by a huge amount.

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​Although your personal finances and your business success are my primary interest, I believe you only operate at peak efficiency when you're fit and healthy. If you feel good, it filters through to your work. To help you with that, click for your free ebook: The Quick Guide to Sexy
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