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Low fat cooking can be some of the best tasting food around. Better yet? The nuturients will make you feel fantastic without the fat that can make you feel weighted down. Even better than that? It's easy.

Before embarking on a low fat diet, you must first take a look at your current eating habits. Chances are, you'll have to make some changes, but if you love baking cinnamon buns on the weekend with your family, it would be crazy to give that up - just make adjustments during the rest of your eating week to reduce fat. After doing a little bit of thinking about your current eating style, you're ready to get cookin'. Remember, the key to eating low fat is to maximize the flavors inherent in your food, and to prepare the food adding as little extra fat as possible.

Meats, and Fish, and Tempeh, Oh My!

One of the hardest lessons in low fat cooking is what to prepare as a protein source. Most people learned to cook their proteins of choice early on in life, but it's important to reevaluate these habits in order to cut back on fat. Meat eaters will want to eat chicken over most beef while vegetarians may do better with tofu, seitan, or tempeh instead of perpackaged meat substitutes. Fish is generally leanest of all, but watch out for fattier fillets such as mackerel, herring, and salmon. You will also likely want to make a habit of replacing most whole eggs with egg whites and switching black beans for refried beans. When it comes to preparing these proteins, try to avoid frying in favor of broiling, grilling, microwaving, and steaming. Frying adds fat, and boiling, while fat-free, sucks the vitamins out of the food. No good at all.

Herbs and Spices

Herbs don't add fat yet they contribute tons of flavor. Think about what you're cooking, and figure out what flavors would go well with it. A baked Yellowfin Tuna fillet is low in fat, and if you splash on a bit of soy sauce, ground ginger, minced garlic, and pineapple juice, you'll compliment and enhance the fish's natural flavor without adding any fat. If you hate the taste of low fat butter substitutes, try mixing in some chives, basil, or oregano and you'll have a delicious herbed "butter" for spreading and cooking. A baked chicken breast sounds boring, but when rubbed with a dry barbecue rub, it becomes a savory treat. The smart use of herbs and spices will transform otherwise uninteresting dishes into tantalizing masterpieces.

Acids

Another way to enhance the flavor of lower fat foods is by adding acids before,

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