Decrease Fat

• Use low-fat milk rather than whole milk.
  
  Substitute low-fat ingredients to improve the nutritional value of any recipe. To wit, replace whole milk with low-fat or skim milk, each whole egg with two egg whites, cream with evaporated skim milk, oil with applesauce, sour cream with yogurt, whipped cream with low-fat frozen dairy topping, mayonnaise with low-fat mayonnaise and each ounce of unsweetened chocolate with 3 tbsp. cocoa powder. (See Reference links.) Choose lower-fat meats such as poultry and fish over red meat. (See Reference links.)
  
  

Change Cooking Methods

• Grill or broil instead of deep frying.
  
  Avoid frying and simply bake, braise, steam, saute, grill or broil instead. When cooking, avoid using additional fats during preparation and choose a cooking spray over adding oil or butter to the pan; use nonstick pans. Baste foods with broth instead of oil, meat drippings or butter. (See Reference links.)
  
  

Decrease Sugar

• Decrease total added sugar or use a sugar substitute.
  
  For baked goods, make a test batch that reduces the sugar by a third to half. Sugar plays a role in creating texture and bulk in recipes. (See Reference links.) Granulated sugar substitutes can replace an equivalent amount of sugar in recipes that only use sugar to sweeten, not to add bulk. Decrease the cooking time by seven to 10 minutes for cakes and three to five minutes for cookies. Using sugar substitutes will not create the same browning that is seen in sugar-sweetened recipes. Any baked good made with a sugar substitute should be eaten or wrapped and frozen within 24 hours to prevent spoilage. (See Reference links.)