Use Egg Whites for Whole Eggs

To cut down on fat in recipes, substitute two egg whites for each egg called for in a recipe.

Raspberry Trifle

1 purchased angel food cake
2 cups boiling water
1 8-serving size pkg. raspberry flavored gelatin
2 10-oz. pkg. frozen sweetened raspberries, thawed
2 8-oz. containers raspberry low fat yogurt

Tear cake into 1" pieces.

In large bowl, combine boiling water and gelatin. Stir until gelatin is dissolved. Add raspberries and refrigerate gelatin mixture about 15 minutes until thickened but not set.

Layer half of the cake pieces, gelatin mixture, and yogurt in a 3 quart glass bowl. Repeat. Refrigerate at least 3 hours until firm.

Calories: 175
Fat: 0 grams
Carbohydrates: 39 grams

Low Fat Frozen Dessert

For a low fat and low calorie dessert, make sandwiches out of graham crackers and non fat or low fat frozen yogurt. Prepare a platter in advance, hide them in the freezer and surprise your family. They'll never know it's healthy!

Fruit Purees In Baked Goods

Fruit purees can be used to replace 1/3 of the fat in a recipe. Just start slow, and you may find that your favorite recipe is just as good with less fat.

When you´re on

You´ve been asked to sit in as featured guest on a radio program. Relax. You were asked because you are an expert in your field. You´d only be nervous if you didn´t know your material.
Besides, the radio hosts wants both of you to look/sound good. He/she will take you through a planned set of questions before the show so that you will know what to expect. Speak slowly and clearly, in a modified tone.
Relax and have fun.

Lemon Chiffon Dessert

1 pkg. angel food cake mix, or purchase a baked cake
2 cups boiling water
1 6-serving size pkg. lemon flavored gelatin
1 6-oz. can frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
1-1/2 cups frozen low fat non-dairy dessert topping

Bake and cool cake as directed on package.

In large bowl, mix boiling water and gelatin and stir until dissolved. Refrigerate about 15 minutes until thickened but not set.

Add enough cold water to lemonade concentrate to measure 2 cups and stir into gelatin. Beat with electric mixer on medium speed until foamy. Fold in whipped topping.

Tear cooled cake into 1" pieces. Fold cake pieces into gelatin mixture and pour into greased 13x9" glass baking dish. Cover and chill at least 4 hours, but no longer than 24 hours. Cover and refrigerate any remaining dessert.

Calories: 180
Fat: 1 gram
Carbohydrate: 40 grams

Angel Food Toasties

1 pkg. angel food cake mix for loaf pan
1/3 cup water
1/2 cup chopped almonds

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In large bowl, combine cake mix and water at low speed until moistened. Beat 2 minutes at high speed and then fold in almonds. Pour into ungreased 9" square pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes until crust is golden brown. Turn pan upside down on rack and cool completely.

Remove cake from pan. With serrated knife, cut cake into 3x1" bars. Place bars 2" apart on ungreased cookie sheets with long cut side of bars down. Bake at 350 degrees for 5-10 minutes or until bottoms begin to brown. Turn so the other cut side is down. Bake for an additional 3-5 minutes or until cut sides are brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheets and cool completely. Store in loosely covered container.

Calories: 45
Fat: 1 gram
Cholesterol: 0 grams

Basic Guidelines

Most recipes can be adapted with low fat ingredients. Begin with one or two changes. You can use fat free egg substitutes instead of real eggs, or use two egg whites in place of one whole egg. Just start slow, and you may find that your favorite recipe is just as good with less fat.

Easy Low Fat Substitutions

You can reduce the fat in your recipes that call for cream cheese, sour cream or cottage cheese by using low or fat free versions. Many times I will use half non-fat and half low-fat rather than strictly non-fat. Be sure to mix them gently because the lower fat versions do separate more easily than their fatty counterparts. Don´t use whipped products, because they contain too much air, and will ruin baked products.

Replace fat with flavor

When you reduce the fat or sugar content in recipes, you can lose flavor as well. To compensate, add a little extra of the flavoring that the recipe calls for. Or, if there are no added spices or flavorings, try adding a little vanilla or cinnamon to boost the taste.

Cut Fat with Apple Juice

Whenever a dessert calls for cooking with oil, use apple juice instead. Use twice the amount as most of it will evaporate. This should add a little extra taste to your recipe and it reduces the fat.

Lowering fat in baked goods

When baking cakes or muffins that use vegetable oil, you can substitute applesauce to lower the fat content without compromising taste or texture. You can also use prune puree. The prune puree works better for chocolate cakes because it has a richer flavor than the applesauce.

Lemon Cheesecake Pie

1-1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
3 Tbsp. butter, melted
3 oz. pkg. lemon flavor gelatin
1 cup boiling water
2 cups lowfat cottage cheese
1-1/2 tsp. grated lemon peel

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In medium bowl, combine crumbs and butter and press in bottom and up sides of 9" pie pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 4-5 minutes. Cool.

In small bowl, dissolve gelatin in boiling water. Cool to lukewarm. In blender or food processor, blend cottage cheese and lemon peel until smooth. Slowly blend in gelatin mixture and pour into cooled baked crust. Refrigerate until set, about 2 hours.

Calories: 180
Fat: 7 grams
Sodium: 400 mg
Protein: 10 grams
Carbohydrates: 21 grams

Low Fat Pan Preparation

Instead of greasing or oiling pans when baking, use parchment paper. Your food won't stick, there's no mess and no unwanted fat or calories.

Lay off the frosting!

When you are frosting a layer cake, you can reduce the calories simply by not frosting the sides. Just frost the top and in between the layers. Garnish with a citrus peel, berries or mint leaves and leave off the chocolate curls.

Low Fat Spreads

Low fat margarine spreads are not recommended for use in baking, but they can be used for crisps or streusels.

Rainbow Sherbet Roll

1 pkg. angel food cake mix
powdered sugar
1-1/2 cups raspberry sherbet, softened
1-1/2 cups orange sherbet, softened
1-1/2 cups lime sherbet, softened

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a jelly roll pan with waxed or parchment paper. Prepare cake batter as directed on package, except spread half of batter in prepared pan. Spread remaining batter in ungreased 9x5" loaf pan. Bake jelly roll pan 20-25 minutes, and the loaf pan 35-45 minutes, until top springs back when lightly touched. Reserve loaf cake for another use.

Cool jelly roll pan 10 minutes. Loosen cake from edges of pan and turn out onto towel heavily sprinkled with powdered sugar. Remove waxed or parchment paper. Trim off hard edges of cake. Carefully roll cake and towel together from narrow end. Cool on wire rack.

Unroll cake and remove towel. Beginning at narrow end, spread raspberry sherbet on 1/3 of cake, orange sherbet on next 1/3 of cake, and lime sherbet on remaining cake. Carefully roll up cake, beginning with narrow side. Place roll, seam side down, on 18x12" piece of aluminum foil. Wrap in foil and freeze roll at least 6 hours, until firm. Remove from freezer 15 minutes before serving.

Calories: 180
Fat: 2 grams
Carbohydrates: 38 grams