Feed Scarborough Presents: Low-Fat Recipes + Tips!

                                                                                                                             

 

Feeling Good about Eating Low Fat:

Whatever your reasons or motivation for changing your diet and cooking habits to low fat, remember, all of the beneficial things that low fat cooking and eating will do for you. To help you stay committed to eating the low fat way, here are nice great results you can attain:

• You gain better health overall and an improved quality of life.
• You keep your heart and arteries healthier. 
• You lessen your risk of cancer or may help keep diabetes under control.
• Eating low fat can help you maintain or lose weight.
• You gain more energy and vitality.
• You can move better and potentially become more inclined to try new physical activities.

Making Sense of Food Labels

Food labels can be pretty confusing if you don’t know how to read them. If you’re trying to cut down on fat in your diet, label reading is essential because the label lists the exact amount of fat and other nutrients in a product. How do you make sense of it all? Make sure you know these label terms to help with your low fat eating plan:

• Extra lean: Can be used to describe the fat content of meat, game meat, poultry, and seafood. Less than 5 grams fat, less than 2 grams saturated fat, and less than 95 milligrams cholesterol per RACC (Reference Amount Customarily Consumed) and per 100 grams.

• Lean: Can be used to describe the fat content of meat, game meat, poultry, and seafood. Less than 10 grams fat, less than 4.5 grams saturated fat, and less than 95 milligrams cholesterol per RACC and per 100 grams.

• Fresh: Can be used only on raw food that has never been frozen or heated and has no preservatives.

• Low: May be used on foods that can be eaten frequently without exceeding dietary guidelines. Per labeled serving and per RACC, these amounts are defined as:

Low calorie: 40 calories or less

Low cholesterol: Less than 20 milligrams of cholesterol (cholesterol claims are only allowed when saturated fat is 2 grams or less)

Low fat: 3 grams or less of fat

Low saturated fat: 1 gram or less of saturated fat and 15 percent or less of calories from saturated fat

Low sodium: Less than 140 milligrams of sodium

 

Reducing the fat doesn't mean reducing the flavour:

When cooking or baking, you can usually use a lower-fat version of the ingredient the recipe calls for. Some fat is needed for taste, so don’t remove all the fat from the recipe. Below are some suggestions for easy and tasty substitutions.

Reducing fat when baking:    

When a recipe calls for...	Try this instead...
Butter, margarine, shortening or oil	Replace up to ½ the fat in muffins, quick breads, cookies and cakes with mashed fruit or vegetables, like unsweetened applesauce, pureed pumpkin, squash, sweet potato, pureed prunes or mashed bananas. Replace up to ¾ of the fat in yeast breads with partly-skimmed ricotta cheese or low fat cottage cheese.
Butter a baking dish or pan to prevent sticking	Use parchment paper or silicone baking mats or pans. If you use a cooking spray, use a small amount on a paper towel to grease the pan.
Full fat cream cheese	Use fat-free or low-fat cream cheese, cottage cheese or partly-skimmed ricotta cheese pureed until smooth.
Full-fat sour cream	Use fat-free or low-fat source cream, part-skim ricotta or fat-free plain yogurt.
Full fat milks	Choose 2% milk fat or less. Substitute with unsweetened non-dairy beverages, 100% fruit juices or water.

 

Reducing fat when cooking:

When a recipe calls for...	Try this instead...
Cream for cream soups	Thicken soups using pureed potatoes, carrots, lentils or tofu
Oil-based marinades	Reduce oil by up to ½ and increase other ingredients like balsamic vinegar, 100% fruit juice or low-sodium broth.
Oil in sautéing	Use water or low-sodium vegetable or chicken broths.  May also use beer or wine instead (3 Tbsp of beer or wine for every 1 Tbsp of butter or oil).
Pan or deep frying	Try baking, boiling, broiling, grilling, poaching, sautéing or stir-frying cooking methods.
Butter or oil on cooked vegetables	Season vegetables with lemon juice, herbs, or vinegar.
Oil and pan drippings for basting, gravies	Substitute 100% fruit juice, vegetable juice or low-sodium vegetable broth.
Cheeses (hard and soft)	Choose lower-fat cheeses with 20% milk fat or less.  Limit the amount of cheese used: a little is all you need for flavour.
Full-fat sour cream	Use mashed beans (white, black, kidney, chickpeas) instead of sour cream in dips.
Full-fat Mayonnaise	Try low-fat plain Greek yogurt, hummus, mustard, low-fat cottage cheese, mashed avocado, Pesto.

 

How to Lower the Fat when Cooking

The first way to lower fat in your favourite meals is in the preparation. Try these simple substitutions and methods for lowering the fat from meals when you’re cooking:

• Instead of sautéing in a lot of oil, use good nonstick cookware and no-stick vegetable or olive oil spray.

• Use a defatting cup to defat stocks, soup bases, and drippings for gravy.

• Avoid any recipe that asks you to use a deep fat fryer. 

• Use cornstarch or flour alone instead of fat and flour to thicken soups and sauces.

• Double the veggies, pasta, rice, and beans and halve the meat.

• Substitute fat-free and low fat dairy products for all high-fat dairy products, including whole milk and cream.

• If you don’t have time to cook dinner, choose low fat frozen dinners or recipes that freeze well and make extra. That way, you have low fat dishes ready to heat and eat, and you won’t be tempted to stop at a fast-food place on your way home. Brown-bag lunch, too, so that you can control the fat in sandwiches, yogurt, and other food items you choose to pack.

• Learn how to flavour foods with spices and herbs.

• Learn to make ten quick appetizers and ten fruit desserts that are low fat.

Healthy Low-fat Recipes

Sweet Chili Tofu Stir-Fry 

Stir-frying is a fast and easy way to prepare a meal without a lot of added fat. Vegetables and lean protein form the basis for this dish, with a little added sauce and seasoning for flavour. It’s a flavourful way to introduce your family to tofu.

Preparation Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 12 minutes Servings: 4 

Healthy Tip: If possible, try serving stir-fry with a side of brown rice. You may also swap in seasonal veggies in the stir-fry.

Ingredients:

• Vegetable cooking spray
• Firm tofu, cut into thin strips 5 oz (175 mL)
• 1-2 sliced white or yellow onion (¾ - 1 cup)
• Broccoli florets (1 cup)
• Baby carrots, cut into bite-size pieces (1 cup)
• Sugar snap peas, trimmed (¾ cup)
• Sliced sweet bell peppers, may use any colour (½ cup)
• Vegetable broth or water (½ cup)
• Sweet chilli sauce (¼ cup)
• Grated orange zest (1 teaspoon)
• Chopped fresh cilantro (optional) 1 teaspoon

Instructions: 

1.Heat a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Spray with vegetable cooking spray. Brown tofu on both sides, then remove from the pan and set aside. 

2. Add onion to wok and saute for 1 minute. Add broccoli, carrots, peas, and red pepper; stir-fry until tender-crisp, about 5 minutes. Return tofu to wok and stir in broth, chili sauce and orange zest. Heat until bubbling.

3.Transfer stir-fry to a serving platter and sprinkle with cilantro, if using. Serve and enjoy!

Nutrition Information per serving (1 out of 4): 

Calories: 115 kcal Protein: 6 g Fat: 3 g Carbohydrate: 17 g Fibre: 3 g Sodium: 265 mg Iron: 2 mg Calcium: 118 mg 

 Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers 

These vegetarian quinoa and bean stuffed peppers are simple to make, flavourful, filling, and the perfect freezer meal, and great for a meal prep recipe. An overall delicious family-friendly weeknight meal the whole family will enjoy. 

Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 40 minutes Total Time: 55 minutes Servings: 8

 Ingredients:

• 4 medium-large bell peppers, sliced in half and seeds removed
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil (or preferred cooking oil)
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• ¼ teaspoon of red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin, smoked paprika (each)
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
• 15 oz diced Tomatoes (1 can), can use 2-4 fresh medium-size garden tomatoes 
• 15 oz black beans, drained and rinsed, one can
• 15 oz red beans, drained and rinsed, one can
• 3 cup of low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1 cup of fresh/fresh or canned low-sodium corn
• 1 cup of quinoa
• ½ cup of shredded cheese 
• Optional toppings: avocado, cilantro/parsley, sour cream, and lime wedges

Instructions: 

1. Preheat the oven to 400° fahrenheit and line a baking tray with parchment paper or silicone mat. Thoroughly wash the bell pepper and pat the excess moisture with a paper towel.

2. Carefully slice each bell pepper halfway, through the stems. Discard the ribs and seeds, and place on the prepared baking tray.

3. Spray with a bit of cooking oil spray and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 8-10 minutes. 

4. Meanwhile, heat oil in a heavy skillet, over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic,  sauté until onion is translucent.

5. Stir in tomatoes, beans, and corn. Add red pepper flakes, ground cumin, smoked paprika, salt and pepper, cook stirring constantly for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the quinoa and broth, and reduce the heat to low.

6. Cover and let it simmer until quinoa is cooked through about 12-15 minutes. Once done, remove from the heat and carefully spoon the mixture into the roasted peppers.

7. Generously sprinkle shredded cheese on top, then place back into the oven and cook for another 6-8 minutes (until cheese is melted and peppers are tender).

8. Once done, remove from the oven, garnish with chopped cilantro or parsley. Serve with your favourite toppings and enjoy.

After-cooking Notes

• You can make the stuffing/filling ahead or the day before and then bake when ready.
• Use fresh peppers. If you like the peppers well done and soft, consider baking them for 10 minutes before stuffing them and bake again. 
• You may use rice or barley in place of quinoa.
• Add more of your favourite veggies to the filling if you like.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container and place in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave or oven when ready to eat.  
• You may freeze for up to 3 months. 

Nutrition Facts for 1 serving: 

Calories: 341kcal Carbohydrates: 53 g Protein: 16 g Fat: 8 g Saturated Fat: 2 g Cholesterol: 6 mg Sodium: 476 mg Potassium: 892 mg Fiber: 13 g Sugar: 6 g 

Peanut Butter & Banana Toast 

Prep Time: 5 mins Cook: 5 mins Servings: 1 

Ingredients:

• 2 slices of whole-wheat bread
• 1 small banana
• ½ teaspoon of cinnamon 
• 1 tablespoon crunchy/smooth peanut butter 

Instructions:

1.Toast bread and slice the banana. Then layer the banana on one slice of toast and dust with cinnamon. Spread the second slice with peanut butter, then sandwich the two together and eat straight away. 

Preparation Note: You can add a drizzle of honey or some granola for added sweetness or crunch. 

Nutrition Info per serving: 

Calories: 307kcal Fat: 9 g Carbohydrates: 45 g Sugars: 18 g Fibre: 4 Protein: 11 g Sodium: 1 g

 

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Scarborough Food Security Initiative

2229 Kingston Road

Scarborough, ON M1N 1T8

For more information contact us at:

info@feedscarborough.ca

416-936-3975