We all know the importance of eating less fat. This is a major health goal for many Americans. Yet, many of us are still confused about how to do so. Americans are consuming less fat as a percentage of total calories - down to 36 percent from over 40 percent a decade ago. But, the total amount of fat we eat has changed little. This is because we eat more total calories, making the percentage lower.

How can we lower the fat in our diets? There are several things we can do without compromising flavor:
* Eat more foods which are naturally low in fat, such as fruits, vegetables, beans and grains.
* Try low-fat or fat-free alternatives, including such items as salad dressings, cream cheese, crackers, and cookies.
* Switch to skim or 1 percent milk. Change by combining 2 percent with 1 percent then 1 percent with skim. Wean down the fat over time.
* Trim all fat off meat before cooking, remove the skin from poultry, and rinse cooked ground beef under running water.
* Bake, boil, broil, microwave, or barbecue, and avoid frying.
* Avoid or limit your portion sizes of butter, gravy, sauces, and sour cream.

Do not go hog-wild eating lower-fat snack foods which are of low nutritional value. They can add a huge amount of calories to our diets. Remember, it's not just fat that makes us fatter. It is eating too many calories and not burning them off with activity.

The food label is an excellent way to teach yourself more about the fat content of certain foods. Read your food label. Eating between 35 and 60 grams of fat a day is plenty to meet the fat needs of our bodies. For more information on how to cut fat, contact a registered dietitian.

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