Four Budget Ways To Cut Fat From Your Cooking

When Baking, Switch Out The Butter

This is an unusual one, but you may be surprised by how well it works. Whether you're baking cookies, cakes or a delicious batch of brownies, just switch out half of the required butter, fat or shortening with mashed banana or unsweetened applesauce. The end results should come out just as good-looking, and you won't hear any complaints about the taste!

Stick To Egg Whites

Eggs are richly nutritious ingredients... but their yolks can be high in fat. In any recipe that calls for eggs, simply substitute each whole egg for two egg whites, and you'll end up with a finished meal that's not only lighter, but healthier too! Oh, and before you ask: yep, this works great for omelets.

Use Cooking Spray

A low-calorie cooking spray is one of the best ways to reduce fat in your home-cooked recipes. The secret? The spray distributes the oil nice and thinly, so you end up using less overall. You may have to purchase cooking spray if you don't already own any, but it's worth the investment. You'll find that, over time, you use so much less oil that one little can will last for ages!

Opt To Grill Or Steam Instead

If you regularly fry or saute vegetables, meat or fish, then it's time for a change in habit. Don't worry - there's no need to buy an expensive plug-in griddle or steamer; you probably have all the equipment you need already at home. Meat and fish can simply be grilled on a wire shelf above a tray lined with foil, while vegetables can be steamed in a colander set in a saucepan with an inch of boiling water and covered. Put together, these cooking methods really help cut out the fat.