FAQ´s Tips
Read these 51 FAQ´s Tips tips to make your life smarter, better, faster and wiser. Each tip is approved by our Editors and created by expert writers so great we call them Gurus. LifeTips is the place to go when you need to know about Cooking tips and hundreds of other topics.
USDA Dietary Guidelines
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's dietary guidelines apply to all healthy people 2 years of age and older. They are:
1. Eat a variety of foods.
2.Maintain a healthy weight.
3.Choose a diet low in fat, saturated fat and cholesterol.
4.Choose a diet with plenty of vegetables, fruits and grains.
5. Use sugars in moderation.
6.Use salt and sodium in moderation.
7.If you drink alcoholic beverages, do so in moderation.
Tia's Take on Lowfat
People often think that anything low fat is automatically "nasty." Well, it doesn't have to be that way. For breakfast, you can enjoy some crepes with fresh strawberries inside and some lowfat whipped cream on them, or some bran cereal with blueberries, and honey. It is also an assumption that anything lowfat has a different flavor than normal "Unregular" like mayo to lowfat mayo. Well to spice up anything low fat, add special spices of your choice, while still watching calories, so you can eat what you love but, still lose inches.
How does one maintain a lowfat diet when your busy vs. staying home all day?
Well, that can be a challenge. Here are a few tips that might help!
1. I keep my fridge stocked with tons of fresh fruit and veggies. As soon as I get them home, I chop, wash, separate ... whatever needs to be done. That way, I can grab some baby carrots, celery sticks, grapes, or whatever sounds good at the time for a quick snack, or addition to a lunch box.
2. I make double and triple batches of my favorite low fat foods. Tonight for dinner, I made a double batch of chili (the recipe will be in an upcoming newsletter!) and froze half of it right off the bat. Sometime next week, I will pull it from the freezer to thaw in the fridge (NEVER thaw food by letting it sit out!) All I have to do for dinner that night is throw together a batch of corn bread and a salad (pre cut is a life saver there!) and dinner is served!
3. Sometimes, we live off of "one pot meals." They are so quick and easy, and most can be done in under 30 minutes!
4. Pre-plan!! When you know what you are going to serve for dinner, you can pull things from the freezer, soak beans, or start the crock pot before you leave. This will stop a lot of quick there's nothing for dinner stops at Mc Donald's!
What to do when the cravings come?
That all depends on what the cravings are for! If I am in the grocery store check out line and suddenly want a candy bar, I know it's because they are calling my name! (I love the "look Mom, no candy aisle" even when my kids aren't there!) My philosophy is that there are no bad foods you shouldn't eat, just foods you should eat less of. If you want chocolate, eat a piece. It's when the whole bag is eaten that the problems start!
Flavorful ingredients
Choose beef recipes with flavorful ingredients such as fresh garlic, hot and sweet peppers or fresh ginger. They add tons of flavor and no extra fat.
Food Temperatures
The USDA recommends the internal temperatures for the following foods:
Beef--160°F (71°C).
Ground Beef--160°F (71°C)
Pork--160°F(71°C)/medium/no pink
Lamb--160°F (71°C)/medium/some pink
Veal--160°F (71°C)well done
Whole poultry and thighs--180°F (82°C) Poultry breasts--170°F (77°C)
Ground chicken or ground turkey--165°F (74°C)
Fish and seafood-cook at a high temperature, making sure the internal temperature reaches 145°F (63°C) for at least 15 seconds
Cut the fat!
Cut fat and calories in oil-based salad dressings in half by mixing one portion with an equal amount of balsamic, raspberry or rice vinegar.
How many grams of fat should I eat to lose weight?
Here is an answer to your question, excerpted from Dieting For Dummies by Jane Kirby R.D. {I just love the for Dummies books! :o)}
The number of calories that you consume determines the amount of fat that you can have in your diet. No more than 30 percent of your daily calories should come from fat.
Calorie Level Daily Fat Gram Allowance
2,000 Less than 65 grams
1,800 Less than 60 grams
1,600 Less than 53 grams
1,400 Less than 46 grams
1,200 Less than 40 grams
To quickly determine your fat gram allowance, drop the last digit of your calorie intake and divide by 3. For example:
1,500 calorie diet = 150 ÷ 3 = less than 50 grams of fat
Quick help for vegetables!
Vegetables: Use spray butter or butter flakes. Top with spice blends you have made yourself or bought. Grill, broil, steam or even microwave without any added fat.
Spade L Ranch Beef Seasoning
To receive a free 1.5 ounce sample packet of Spade L Ranch Beef seasoning, send a double stamped, self addressed envelope to:
SPADE L RANCH SEASONINGS
P.O.BOX 128
SELMA, CA. 93662
Spade L Ranch
Jasmine Tea Ice cream recipe?
Do you have a recipe for making ice cream with Jasmine tea flavour?
*****
As ice cream isn't a low fat food, my collection of recipes was a little limited. I did have a recipe for Jasmine Tea Sorbet, which I will pass on to you. I did think it would be possible to use a vanilla ice cream recipe, and infuse the milk (or cream, depending on your recipe) with jasmine tea leaves (warm the milk, add the tea leaves and let steep. Strain, and proceed with the recipe.)
Jasmine Tea Sorbet
3 cups water
2 1/2 tablespoons fine-quality jasmine tea leaves
3/4 cup sugar
In a small saucepan bring water to a boil. Add tea leaves and remove pan from heat. Cover pan and steep tea 5 minutes. Add sugar, stirring until dissolved, and strain tea through a fine sieve into a bowl. Chill tea, covered, until cold and freeze in an ice-cream maker.
Are dry roasted peanuts low fat?
The short answer: No. They are not low fat. Generally speaking, all nuts are high in fat.
The longer answer: Since most people eat dry roasted peanuts as a snack, and not in recipes, we will assume that is the case here. The average serving of dry roasted peanuts as a snack would probably be about 1/4 cup. 1/4 cup is about 45 peanuts. (I measured 3 times, and this was the average) On the can of peanuts I have in front of me, it says that every 10 whole peanuts has 5 grams of fat. So, a snack of 1/4 cup dry roasted peanuts is equal to 25 grams of fat.
What's the best lowfat diet to follow ?
This is a good question, and one I am asked frequently. There are so many low fat diet plans available today, it is hard to pick the "right" one. For me the choice was simple. I don't follow any "one" plan. When I first decided to change to a low fat lifestyle, I tried following almost every "diet" available. They all worked great ... for a few weeks. I found most of them to be too restrictive, and no two "experts" could agree on what was right.
What ended up changing the way I do things is a trip to my family Doctor. Your family Doctor can review your health history and recommend a target caloric intake, and a maximum fat intake for the day. From there I would simply collect recipes, and make sure they fit into your new "Plan for Life!" It will take a little planning on your part, but believe me, so does following a pre-planned diet! And ... once you notice how much better you feel, you won't mind the extra work! There are some great recipes on the Lowfat-tips web page, including a whole section devoted to 20 links to recipe collections. Soon, there will be a whole section of lowfat, quick, one dish meals ... to make dinner even easier!
Lowering the fat in Hamburgers and meat loaf.
Pat cooked burgers and meatloaf with a dry paper towel. This can lower fat by as much as 50%!!
How do I know how much fat is in food?
To calculate the percentage of fat in food, first multiply the number of fat grams by 9 to determine the fat calories, then divide this number by the total calories. EXAMPLE: one glazed doughnut contains 235 calories and 13 grams of fat. 13 x 9 =117. 117 divided by 235 = 49% fat. Yikes!
Complimentary Magic Seasoning Blends
If you would like a sample of Magic Seasoning Blends and a copy of their most recent catalog, please print out this form and send either one dollar or a self addressed stamped envelope with (3) first class stamps to:
Magic Seasoning Blends
PO Box 23342
New Orleans, Louisiana 70183-0342.
Complimentary Magic Seasoning Blends Form
Marinade safely!
The acids that you use in the marinade can penetrate into the dish you're using, so to be extra-safe, don't use an aluminum or metal container. You also shouldn't use those colorful glazed ceramic dishes--the paint used might contain lead. Your best bet is to use a glass baking dish or a self-sealing plastic bag for marinating food. If you're using a plastic bag, you only need to turn the bag over to redistribute the marinade.
How can we maintain our low fat lifestyle when things get so hectic?
Here are some suggestions.
When we head out the door, we always have a few things with us. The first is a water bottle. We have this with us everywhere! When the boys decide they are thirsty, they have their water bottles, instead of a high sugar, supposed to have fruit in it drink from the gas station.
If we know we are going to be gone for a while, we pack a "snack bag." This is just a thermal lunch bag we have had for years. We pack it with apples, cut up oranges, carrot sticks, homemade muffins ... whatever sounds good! This bag has saved us countless trips to Mc Donald`s for French fries.
Coating chicken
Lightly flour ONE SIDE ONLY of fish fillet or chicken breast, then dip just
that side in lightly beaten egg white. Finally, dredge just that side in
dry (seasoned or unseasoned) bread crumbs or corn flake crumbs. Place
breaded side up on baking dish, spray the crumbs lightly with Pam and season
as desired before baking. Quite a few calories are saved by only breading
one side...and who looks underneath anyway? I also use this method on
boneless pork chops. I pound thinly sliced chops to about 1/4" thick
cutlets, use the above breading method, then fry them, breaded side down, in
a Pam sprayed pan with only 1 T. of olive oil added. It's important to brown the breaded side first so it can absorb the oil and become crispy.
Then turn them and finish cooking. These are so good served with a sauce made of 1/2 can Healthy Request or Low Fat Cream of Mushroom soup, 1 tsp. brown gravy
dry mix, and 2 T. water. Heat and serve over the cutlets.
I am overweight. What should I do?
I would recommend that if you are overweight, the best place to start is at your family Doctor's office. They can review your health history, take into consideration any health problems you may have, and give you an idea of what your ideal body weight should be.
Lean Ground Beef
Use lean ground beef such as ground round (known as extra lean) or ground sirloin (known as lean) for casseroles, chili, tacos, spaghetti sauces and skillet dishes.
Non-stick pans & Sprays
Cook food in nonstick pans. If needed, use cooking sprays, broth or even plain water instead of oil or butter. Just be careful with the sprays! The label says it has 0 fat grams, but that is for a 1/4 second spray. Remember, it is oil you are spraying.
Try basting or searing beef with stock or broth instead.
Flavor Boosters!
Some low-fat flavor boosters include balsamic vinegar, sun-dried tomatoes, Dijon mustard, Tabasco sauce, salsa, catsup, canned green chilies, and small amounts of sesame and hot chili oils. Mix a dash of horseradish instead of mayo into tuna. Many fat free and low-fat vinaigrette dressings can be used as a flavorful marinade and basting sauce for grilled foods.
My free online class!
This class is offered free of charge, is self paced, you can join anytime... and did I mention it is free?
Even if you are not becoming a vegetarian, there is quite a bit of information about meal planning, nutrition, effortlessly meeting your daily requirements and more.
Becoming Vegetarian
Do you have a recipe for making pearl tapioca pudding?
Do you have a recipe for making pearl tapioca pudding? I would like it to be as simple and low in fat as possible.
*****
Here is a recipe we use a lot. We toss it into the crockpot and forget about it! As it is now, there are 7 g of fat per serving. I make it even more lowfat by leaving out the walnuts. Please let me know how you like it!
Low Fat Pearl Tapioca Pudding
1/2 cup pearl tapioca
2 1/4 cups water
1 2/3 cups brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup walnut halves
3/4 teaspoon vanilla
In crock-pot combine tapioca (large round kind, no substitutes) and water and soak overnight. Add brown sugar and salt; cover and cook for 12 hours on low. Stir gently once in a while. Chill. Add walnuts and vanilla. Pour in a deep glass dish. Serves 8. Variation: Add the juice from 1 can crushed pineapple to the water to make 3 cups. Fold in the pineapple before cooling.
Ideas to change regular food for lowfat diet?
There are quite a few good substitutions on the Lowfat-tips web page. These will be helpful for converting a high fat favorite to a low fat keeper!
Once I stopped trying to find a substitute for everything, my life became so much easier! Instead of trying to find a Lowfat potato chip, why not try popcorn with butter buds? A piece of pie? Why not try a fruit crisp? Fat free yogurt is a great substitute for sour cream.
Quick help for fruit!
Fruit: Top with spice blends such as pumpkin or apple pie spice. Grill fruits to bring out natural sugars. Toss in lemon juice to stop them from turning brown. Top fruit with either non-fat yogurt or dessert topping. Yogurt can be flavored with fruit and artificial sweetener.
Quick! What can I do to make my soups low fat?
Soups: Use lean meats. Skim the fat off of the broth. Load up on veggies. For extra body, instead of meat add rice, pasta or barley. Make an herb blend just for Soup with: basil, parsley, marjoram, thyme, savory, and bay.
It's smokin'!!
Smoking food is a great way to add flavor! Experiment with chips of different woods to produce flavoring smoke. Only use hardwoods such as hickory, mesquite, oak, pear, apple, cherry, or peach. Never use soft woods like pine or spruce. They will ruin the flavor of your food. Wood chips should be soaked in water for an hour before spreading them over the ready coals. When using a gas grill, spread the chips directly over the lava rocks.
Check The Temp!
Check the temperature in your refrigerator and freezer. Refrigerators should stay below 41°F (5°C) and the freezer, 0°F (-l8°C). This won't kill any bacteria that is already there, but it will keep them from multiplying. You can buy a thermometer for the refrigerator and freezer in the housewares section of most supermarkets.
Is there a diet planner available?
I found this site, and thought it might just be what you are looking for!
It is free, online diet tracking. They will chart your progress for you!
Online Diet Planner
Quick! What can I do with Pasta?
Pasta: Use one of the many reduced fat sauces available. Toss frozen vegetables into the water for the last few minutes of cooking. Don't worry about oil or butter in the water. Make an herb blend just for pasta with basil, thyme, oregano and parsley.
Quick help for Salad dressing
Be aware of how much salad dressing you are using. Just 2 tablespoons of regular Italian dressing equal 150 calories and 16 grams of fat. Try this: Put the salad dressing in a separate bowl or cup. Dip your fork into the dressing before you pick up the salad. That way, you will still have the taste of the dressing with each bite, but you are using a lot less.
Water, Water, Water!
Drink more water when you are dieting. Drinking a glass of water before meals will make you less hungry and aids digestion.When you are watching what you eat, why not watch what you drink? Symptoms of dehydration are:
Loss of appetite
Minor headaches
Dizziness
Mild fatigue
General sense of not feeling mentally sharp
Cheeseburgers!
Try making your favorite cheeseburger with low-fat or reduced-fat cheese. Top with a sprinkling of sharp cheese, fresh grated Romano or a bit of zesty Parmesan for more flavor
Staying on Track
When we head out the door, we always have a few things with us.
The first is a water bottle. We have this with us everywhere! When the boys decide they are thirsty, they have their water bottles, instead of a high sugar, supposed to have fruit in it (but never really does!) drink from the gas station.
If we know we are going to be gone for a while, we pack a "snack bag." This is just a thermal lunch bag we have had for years. We pack it with apples, cut up oranges, carrot sticks, homemade muffins ... whatever sounds good! This bag has saved us countless trips to Mc Donald`s for French fries.
Is it still safe?
How long can you store leftovers in the fridge?
Here's a general guideline:
cooked fresh vegetables-3 to 4 days
cooked pasta-3 to 5 days
cooked rice-1 week
deli counter meats-5 days
salad greens-1 to 2 days
cooked and sliced ham-3 to 4 days
cooked beef, pork, poultry, fish, and meat casseroles-3 to 4 days
cooked patties and nuggets, gravy, and broth-1 to 2 days
cooked seafood-2 days
soups and stews-3 to 4 days
stuffing-1 to 2 days
Quick help for salads!
Salads: Use low fat or no fat salad dressings. Use less meat and cheese, or avoid altogether. Top with fresh vegetables. Make an herb blend just for salads with: basil, parsley, marjoram, dill, and tarragon
Pulse Snack Food Sample
Pulse is a blend of 26 fruits, nuts, seeds, and grains. This great source of nutrition contains essential vitamins, enzymes, and dietary fibers. The makers of Pulse believe that you will like it so much that if they give you a sample, you'll want to buy more. So here's your chance to get a FREE sample of Pulse snack food.
Pulse Snack Food Sample
Is white rice ok to eat regularly?
Is white rice ok to eat regularly? I am trying to keep my calories under 1200 a day with no white flour or sugar. And I love rice.
*****
I love rice, too! I keep cooked rice in the fridge. Add skim milk, a little cinnamon and sugar, and you have breakfast. Toss in a handful of blanched veggies and a *squirt* of soy sauce, and you have lunch. From a fat stand point, white rice is great! In 1 cup of cooked, white rice, there is only 0.391g of fat. From a caloric stand point, 1 cup of either brown or white rice has over 200 calories... 1/6 th the amount you are allotting. But from a general nutritional stand point, brown rice wins, hands down. From the Lundberg family farms web page:(http://www.lundberg.com/brownrice.html)
Brown Rice White Rice
1 cup 1 cup
Calories 232 223
Protein 4.88 g 4.10 g
Carbohydrate 49.7 g 49.6 g
Fat 1.17 g 0.205 g
Dietary Fiber 3.32 g 0.74 g
Thiamin (B1) 0.176 mg 0.223 mg
Riboflavin (B2) 0.039 mg 0.021 mg
Niacin (B3) 2.730 mg 2.050 mg
Vitamin B6 0.294 mg 0.103 mg
Folacin 10 mcg 4.1 mcg
Vitamin E 1.4 mg 0.462 mg
Magnesium 72.2 mg 22.6 mg
Phosphorus 142 mg 57.4 mg
Potassium 137 mg 57.4 mg
Selenium 26 mg 19 mg
Zinc 1.05 mg 0.841 mg
Brown rice has a nuttier flavor, and for some people is an *aquired taste.* If it is hard for you to make the switch, try making what my kids call *confetti rice* (1/2 brown rice and 1/2 white rice)
Here is a recipe I make every few weeks. It might just make you a brown rice lover! Enjoy!
Crockpot Brown Rice Pudding
3/4 cup sugar
6 cups skim milk (or canned evaporated low fat milk)
1 cup regular brown rice (not instant)
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
nutmeg (for garnish)
Place sugar and milk in crockpot and stir to dissolve sugar. Stir in rice and cinnamon. Cover and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours, until the rice is tender and it starts to thicken (it may take longer in some crockpots). After it starts to simmer, stir it once or twice to make sure rice isn't clumping, adding vanilla at the last stir. Pour into a serving dish, sprinkle with nutmeg and allow to cool and thicken. Serve chilled.
Low fat Yogurt topping for Desserts?
Low fat Yogurt topping for Desserts - I`ve sampled one before that was made with low fat vanilla yogurt, drained then adding some sugar & a little lemon juice or grated peel.
*********
Here are two fruit toppings I use.
The first one seems very close to what you remember ... you might try substituting vanilla yogurt for the lemon yogurt called for.
Don't be afraid to experiment!
Lemon Yogurt Dressing
1 8 oz. carton lemon yogurt
1 tb Lemon juice
1 tb Honey
In small bowl, combine all ingredients; blend well. Cover; refrigerate to blend flavors.
****************
Yogurt Fruit dip
2 c plain nonfat yogurt
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp frozen orange juice concentrate
1 dash ground cinnamon
Line a strainer with a paper coffee filter or cheesecloth; place over a bowl. Pour yogurt in strainer; refrigerate for 8 hours. Discard liquid in bowl. (Or keep it and throw in your next bread recipe!) Combine yogurt, brown sugar, orange juice concentrate and cinnamon; mix well. Serve with fresh fruit.
Quick! tell me quick, painless ways to cut some fat!
Every Tablespoon of nonfat margarine you substitute for regular margarine will save you 11 grams of fat! Substitute 1 tablespoon honey mustard for 1 tablespoon mayonnaise on a grilled chicken sandwich and save 99 calories and 11 grams of fat. Use 1 less tablespoon coffee creamer and save 20 calories and 2 grams fat.Cut back to 1 tablespoon light cream cheese instead of 2 tablespoons on a bagel and save 87 calories and 3 grams fat. Use 1 cup skim milk in place of 1 percent milk and cut 27 calories and 3 grams fat. Choose 1 cup sherbet instead of 1 cup ice cream and avoid 81 calories and 9 grams fat.
How do I lose a lot of weight quickly?
I have asked this question many times myself. There has to be a quick way to lose weight, right? Well, this is one of those good news/bad news things. Yes, it is possible to lose weight quickly. Believe me. I have done it 4 times! The problem with losing weight quickly is that you eventually have to start eating again, and as soon as that happens, the weight comes back. Plus some.
The problem with "crash dieting" is that most diets are so low in calories that your body is literally starving for certain nutrients. Worse still, your brain may not get enough glucose, resulting in fatigue, malnutrition, and in some cases, even depression.
The most effective way to lose weight and keep it off is to take it slow. Keep your weight loss goal to 1/2 to 3 pounds a week. The best way I have found to do this is to eat a wide variety of foods (so you don't get bored!) and increase your physical activity. Even if that means walking to the corner and back, do it! You will see the results.
To maintain your present weight, your diet should have no more that 30% of it's calories from fat. If you are trying to lose weight, most people are advised to cut that number back to 20-25 percentage. (Another 10 to 20% should come from protein, and the remaining 55 to 65% from carbohydrates.)
How do I find low fat meat?
Find lean cuts of beef by looking for the words "round", "loin", "extra lean" or "the leanest" in the name. Cuts like top round, tenderloin or sirloin will be lean and healthy. Be sure to read the labels!
Can I use diet margarine to make pie crust?
Yes! I use fat free or low fat margarine in pie crusts all of the time! It does depend on the brand, so I would try the recipe before you use it for a big holiday pie! Here are 4 pie crust recipes I use a lot:
All Bran Pie Crust
Whole Wheat Pie Crust
Oatmeal Cookie Crust
Old Fashioned Pie Crust
Enjoy!
Burn calories!
You can pick up an extra 200 to 300 calories to play around with every time you visit the gym, take a 45-minute walk, or play 30 minutes of touch football.
What are some good reasons to maintain a lowfat diet?
I think everyone's reasons are different. I just put 3 of mine to bed! When I was growing up, my dad couldn't do a lot of things with us (like hike, play at the beach) because when I was 7, he had Open Heart Surgery. He died when I was 16. I decided I want to be there for my kids. I want to see them go to college, get married, and all of the other things my dad missed. If that means I have to give up potato chips, ice cream and Taco Bell... well, I don't miss them at all.
Flavorful oil
When a recipe calls for oil, use a smaller amount of a more flavorful oil, such as olive, sesame or chili oil. Use a combination of flavored oils, herbs or beef stock to season beef, vegetables, sauces, stir-fried and sautéed dishes.
Can I have a menu?
As everyone's tastes are different, I cannot give you a menu. What is right for me, may not be right for you. On the Lowfat-tips webpage, I have listed some of my favorite recipes. There is a category called recipes with links to many recipe collections. I have also placed recipes under many of the categories.
Quick! Help me with meat!
Meats: Use lean, trimmed meats. Cook in broth or wine. Grill (if you don't have access to an outdoor grill, try one of the wonderful indoor electric grills on the market.) Marinade, or use a dry rub.
Beef and Stirfry Sauce
For a great sauce/gravy for beef and stir fry I combine 4 tablespoons cornstarch and 4 tablespoons soy sauce with 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder and 3 cups of water. Mix together in a bowl. Pour over browned meat and simmer. The longer it simmers, the thicker it will become. Can be served immediately.
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| Alicia Bodine |
