Low-fat cooking
Low-fat cooking means measuring oil instead of pouring it, using a non-stick pan, the oven and steam – and adding good fat deliberately where you can taste it.
Ausführlich erklärt
At 9 kilocalories per gram, fat contains more than twice as much energy as protein or carbohydrates – which is why the fat that slips unnoticed into the pan and the sauce while you cook is the biggest hidden source of calories. A tablespoon of oil is around 10 grams and 90 kilocalories. Pour “a splash” straight from the bottle and you can easily end up with three tablespoons.
The most effective tricks: measure oil with a teaspoon or use a spray bottle. A good non-stick pan needs only a teaspoon. Sweat onions and vegetables in a little stock or water instead of oil. Cook meat and fish in the oven on baking paper, or steam them. Replace cream in sauces with milk, natural yoghurt or puréed vegetables, and sour cream with quark. Trim visible fat from meat and remove the skin from poultry. Instead of a full breadcrumb coating, use a thin layer of breadcrumbs and the oven.
Important: low-fat doesn't mean fat-free. The German Nutrition Society (DGE) recommends getting 30 to 35% of your energy from fat – with a requirement of 2,000 kilocalories, that's 65 to 80 grams a day. Fat carries flavour, keeps you full and is needed to absorb vitamins A, D, E and K. Use it where you can taste it: rapeseed or olive oil drizzled over a finished salad, nuts in your muesli, avocado on bread, oily sea fish once a week.
The trick against bland food: replace the flavour that fat brings with seasoning – roasted flavours, acidity, herbs and umami. A tray of roasted vegetables with a teaspoon of oil, paprika and lemon beats any pan full of oil.
Please don't overdo it with children: babies and toddlers need proportionally more fat for growth and brain development. Low-fat cooking is a strategy for adults and the shared family table – not a special regime for children's plates.