Try reducing fat by one-fourth or one-third in baked products.  This works best in quick breads, muffins and cookies but might not work as well for cakes. 

Use fruit purees (plum, prune or applesauce) for part of all of the fat in baked products.  You may want to use a substitute for only half of the fat and see if you like the texture.  Try substituting more fruit puree the next time you prepare the recipe.

Cut back on added fat.  Instead of cooking with added butter or margarine, use a nonstick pan, cooking spray or healthy oils (olive or canola oil) instead.  Sauté or stir-fry vegetables with little fat or use water, wine or broth.

Skim excess fat from the top of soups, gravies and stews.  you may need to let it cool to make removing the hardened fat easier. 

Choose healthier cooking methods that use less fat, such as baking, broiling, grilling, poaching, steaming or microwaving.

Use reduced-fat sour cream or mayonnaise in place of regular sour cream or mayonnaise.  Try using plain low-fat or nonfat yogurt or blended cottage cheese in place of mayonnaise in a dip.  If a sauce made with yogurt needs to be heated, add one tablespoon of cornstarch to one cup of yogurt to prevent separation.

Use skim or low-fat milk instead of whole milk.  For extra richness, try evaporated skim milk.

Choose lean meats and drain excess fat after cooking it.

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