• Plan your meals - aim for less than 40 to 50 grams of fat per day and choose a well-balanced diet with plenty of vegetables, fruit, wholegrains (pasta, rice, breads and cereals), fish, skinned poultry and lean low fat meats.
• If you can't get by without a snack, try a piece of fresh fruit or a muesli bar.
• Avoid alcohol. Alcohol stimulates the storage of fat and is also high in calories.
• Eat at least three well planned meals every day including breakfast.
• Drink plenty of water - 5 or more glasses daily.
• A low fat soup or salad at the beginning of a meal will fill you up.
• Watch how much you eat and avoid second portions! It takes time for your brain to recognize that your stomach is full.
• Eat slowly - don't rush your food.

Food Preparation Tips.

• Trim all fat from meat
• Choose cuts of meat with less fat
• Remove chicken skin
• Grill, bake, boil, BBQ or microwave foods
• Wrap in foil and bake
• Cook meat, casseroles, mince dishes and boil ups ahead of time. Cool and remove fat. Reheat well before serving
• Boil ups. Trim the fat from the meat before boiling, change the cooking water before adding the vegetables. After cooking, let it cook, skim off the fat, then reheat and serve
• Serve palm size servings of red meat, chicken and fish
• Roast or bake on rack in oven
• Use a non stick pan or an oil spray to stop food sticking
• Heat canned corned beef and pour off fat
• Choose canned fish in water rather than oil or brine
• Use rice, noodles, pasta and vegetables to make meat dishes go further

• Use low fat milks in sauces, puddings and soups.
• Use low fat natural yoghurt or buttermilk in recipes as a substitute for sour cream or mayonnaise
• Use grated edam cheese mixed with breadcrumbs as topping on savoury dishes
• Use evaporate skim milk or low fat milk and ricotta cheese blended in place of cream
• Use cottage cheese, ricotta or low fat yoghurt in place of sour cream or cream cheese
• Try low fat yoghurt or low fat ice-creams with fruit instead of ice-cream or cream
• Use lite sour cream and lite cream cheese in recipes

• Try an oil free dressing, lite dressing, lemon juice and herbs or balsalmic vinegar over salads
• Mix cider vinegar & mint sauce together. A tasty salad dressing
• A low fat yoghurt dressing is delicious over salads. Combine 1 x 150ml pottle plain low fat yoghurt with 3 tsp vinegar or lemon juice. Add salt & pepper to taste
• Make a low fat white sauce by mixing cornflour and seasonings with low fat milk, stock or tomato juice. Cook to thicken and bring out the flavour. Try seasoning with black pepper, chives, parsley, mixed herbs and spices
• Dilute coconut cream with low fat milk or water before adding to dishes or mix coconut essence with low fat milk Ð lots of taste without the fat.
• Mix low fat yoghurt with flavourings such as Tandoori paste, Thai paste or pesto. Mix in with pasta instead of cream sauce.
• Choose commerical sauces that are vegetable based rather than cream or satay

• Mash potatoes with low fat milk. Add parsley, onion and herbs for flavouring
• Top baked potatoes with low fat natural yoghurt, cottage cheese, quarg, baked beans, creamed corn, chutney/pickles
• Saute or brown vegetables (e.g. onions) in a little water or stock instead of fat
• Oven bake chips.
• Include fresh and/or frozen vegetables daily
• Use herbs, spices or lemon juice to flavour foods instead of butter, margarine or cream
• For dessert try fresh fruit or tinned fruit in natural juice