Diabetes Tip: Cooking With Less Fat

The amount and kind of fat you eat affects your body weight and risk for heart disease and cancer. No more than 30 percent of your total daily caloric intake should come from fat. A general guideline is to limit your fat intake to 40 to 60 grams per day, with saturated fat, fats from meats and processed foods making up no more than 10 to 20 grams or one-third of your total fat calories.

It is always a good idea to read the food nutrition labels to see how much fat you are consuming for each serving. Try to look for no more than 3 grams of fat for every 100 calories.

To cut fat, not flavor, when cooking:

  • Choose low-fat, light or nonfat dairy products and condiments
  • Cut down on foods such as meats, whole milk products, margarine, processed food and baked goods, which are major sources of saturated fat
  • Steam or grill vegetables
  • Substitute applesauce or plain low-fat yogurt in place of oil in cakes and muffins
  • To season food, use fresh herbs, spices, low-sodium broth or lemon juice instead of oils and heavy sauces like gravy
  • Trim all visible fats from meat and remove skin from chicken
  • When choosing fats, select mono- or polyunsaturated such as olive and canola oils and use smaller amounts

For More Information
 To learn more about Sharp's diabetes services or to find a Sharp-affiliated doctor, search for a San Diego endocrinologist or call 1-800-82-SHARP (1-800-827-4277), Monday through Friday, 8 am to 6 pm. To find general information about diabetes, visit Diabetes Care in Adult Health or read the Diabetes News archive.