Cooking lighter and leaner does not mean you need to sacrifice flavor or quality. Replacing some of the fat and refined carbohydrates (like white flour) with more natural and lighter flavors can result in a better product for your taste buds and for your waistline. The trick is to see cooking light as a friendly challenge; look for ways you can replace the butter or shortening in a recipe with pureed fruit or a healthier fat like canola or olive oils. There are many substitutions for the everyday ingredients a recipe just “has to have”.

Cooking leaner and lighter does not only mean using different ingredients, it also means using different cooking techniques. The best cooking methods are those that don’t add extra fat and that allow the already present fat to drip away. Instead of using that frialator to cook those potato wedges, try baking them in the oven with a little rosemary- you’ll be amazed at the taste improvement. And instead of pan frying that delicious haddock in butter and bread crumbs, try grilling with a little lemon and let the natural flavor of the fish come out. The calorie you’ll save by skipping the butter and bread crumbs is around 170 calories, and the fresh lean taste will amaze you!