Low-fat dinner menus can be just as varied and the dishes just as tasty as less-healthy alternatives. By substituting lower-fat or no-fat ingredients and reducing the amount of oil you use to cook with, most recipes can be adapted to a low-fat version. Low-fat appetizers, main dishes and desserts make up an infinite number of healthy menu ideas.
Appetizers
A low-fat appetizer not only is enjoyable in its own right, it cuts down on the amount you will eat for the rest of the meal and thereby reduces your overall fat intake. A simple green salad with a low-fat bought or homemade dressing provides a nutritious beginning to a meal, and you can add any combination of tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers and other vegetables to make it more interesting. Just avoid cheeses, bacon crumbles and creamy dressings. Another satisfying low-fat appetizer that is easy to make at home is any variety of clear soup. Store-bought soups can contain lots of hidden fat, so make your own so that you can control the ingredients. Chop up a selection of your favorite vegetables, add some lean meat if you want, cover them with low-fat broth and simmer for about 20 minutes. You can roast the vegetables in the oven with a drop of olive oil for extra flavor beforehand. To make the soup heartier without adding any fat you could add noodles, pasta, beans or lentils. A light, simple and easy appetizer option is large shell-on shrimp cooked until just pink on an outdoor grill. Serve the shrimp with cocktail sauce and avoid tartar sauce and mayonnaise-based dips.
Main Courses
Any type of main course can be adapted to reduce the amount of fat it contains. When choosing the protein element, know that chicken and turkey are lower in fat than beef, pork or lamb, and the white meat with no skin is the leanest. However, if you want to cook beef, pork or lamb, some cuts are much lower in fat than others. Labels on ground beef usually state the percentage of fat content, and often you can visibly see the amount of fat on the outside and the marbling of fat in cuts of meat. An easy way to cut down the fat content is simply to trim away any fat that you can see. Fish is a lower-fat alternative to meat to consider. Instead of hamburgers, make turkey burgers or salmon cakes; instead of beef steaks, consider meaty swordfish steaks. Cooking methods can also be adapted to reduce fat contents when cooking meals. Frying onions and other vegetables more slowly over a lower heat means you don't need to use much oil while developing concentrated flavors. Choosing condiments wisely can considerably reduce the amount of fat in a meal, too. For example, if you make tacos or fajitas, top them with salsa, chopped onion and green taco sauce rather than cheese or sour cream.
Desserts
Most baked desserts and cakes contain a lot of butter. If you want cake, choose one with a light, airy texture like angel food cake, which will have much less fat per serving than a dense, heavier cake. If you crave ice cream, try a fruit sorbet or fat-free frozen yogurt instead, or look for low-fat ice cream and restrict yourself to a small portion. You can make a fat-free topping by heating some chopped fresh fruit with a few tablespoons of sugar and reducing the mix to a thick syrup. Fruit is a classic fat-free dessert; a tropical fruit salad of pineapple chunks, mango and kiwi fruit is a bit more special than the usual apples and oranges.
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