I've been dealing with this a long time after DH had 7 By-passes in two different operation, full cardiac arrest & years of heart attacks until he got a heart transplant. Here are a few tips that have worked for me, (altho' sodium wasn't a problem for him.) He loves peas & beans which made it a lot easier. Transplant Dietician said he was allowed 60 gr. of fat per day but I try to keep it at 40 since even meds don't control his cholesterol well. It takes a while to shop 'cause yout must read labels! Bacon: I do give it to him once a week after rolling in paper towels, cooking in microwave- then pressing to lift grease. Eggs: Using only egg whites, lightly whipped then one drop of yellow food coloring swirled a bit before scrambling i non stick skillet. We're Southern & love the flavor of smoked hog jowls in greens, beans, etc., but I boil it, remove the meat & refrigerate it til' fat congeals so it lifts off...then just use the broth. Pot Roast & occasional baked Ham is done the same way. Buy only very lean ground meat & fat free broths for soups. I also buy Parkay Spray "Butter" 0 fat, calories & cholesterol, and the fat free salad dressings. Grocery shopping day is also cooking day (no need to put is all away, drag it out to cook a bunch of seperate meals.) First I build a fire in the grill then make beef patties. Then using more lean ground meat w/onions I brown it & as it browns I prepare chicken for baking. When beef is well done I put it in colander in the sink & pour boiling water of it & let it drain. Pour into paper towel lined bowl & press. When cool I put it in serving size freezer bags & flatten for quick thawing. Chopped onions are done the same way, so whatever amt is needed can be broken off easily. It can then be used for spaghetti, ect. (Sometimes we have Spaghetti Red (no meat) with lots of garlic & Italian spices.) Baked chicken breast (skin & fat removed) were so unappealing to him 'til I browned them first in skillet with non-stick spray. I buy large packs & cook them all at the same time for future use (saves on utility bills too.) 8 x 8" Pyrex dishes each get one so I can add different flavorings. One gets Frajita seasoning, one Italian, one Pace Picante. etc. While the chicken bakes I cook burgers (& sometimes Orange Roughy fish) on the grill- but not all the way thru. Cool & put each in a freezer bag- when ready to use a quick skillet warm up finishes the cooking process (we like ours well done.) I also make Stir Fry meals a lot. A little meat goes a long way when cut in small pcs. & it's a great way to use leftover meat. Soups are made with the fat free broths. Desserts are fat free puddings, jello w/ fruit. I also make this: Finely shredded cabbage in Lime jello, a layer of crushed canned pineapple, then layer of finely shredded carrots in Orange jello. AND, look for this *Banana Pops to make chocolate flavored bananas on a stick. It's by Concord Foods & only 5 gr. of fat. (www.concordfoods.com) By the bananas in our store. Feel free to e-mail me with any questions & Good luck! Suzi

I have this one and it's pretty good. I'm not wild about the rice krispies and keep thinking I'll replace them with something else, but I haven't figured out what to replace them with. It's still OK with them, but I'm leaning toward replacing them with frosted mini-wheat cereal. Homemade Granola POINTS® Value: 3 Servings: 12 Preparation Time: 10 min Cooking Time: 30 min Level of Difficulty: Moderate Each 1/2-cup serving of this healthy, homemade granola is drastically lower in fat than most store-bought varieties.  3 cup uncooked quick oats  2 oz ready-to-eat crisp rice cereal, about 2 cups  6 Tbsp honey  1 tsp canola oil  1/4 cup apple juice  1/2 tsp ground cinnamon  1/2 tsp ground ginger  1/2 tsp vanilla extract  1/4 cup slivered almonds  1/4 cup dried cranberries  1/4 cup raisins Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix uncooked oats and puffed rice cereal together and spread on a non-stick baking sheet with sides; bake for 10 minutes, stirring once. Meanwhile, mix honey, oil, apple juice, spices and vanilla together in a cup. When oats and puffed rice are done, spoon into a large bowl; set pan aside. Add almonds to cereal mixture and stir to combine. Pour honey-spice mixture over cereal mixture and mix thoroughly to distribute and coat completely; spread mixture back over pan. Return pan to oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes more, stirring every few minutes. Remove from oven and spoon back into bowl. (Note: Be careful that granola doesn't burn - especially cereal along sides of pan.) Stir raisins and cranberries into mixture; let cool. Store in an airtight container. Yields about a half cup per serving. Annie

Dips, dips and another dip! Years ago i self-appointed to be the designated chef at family gatherings...both families, and full of real, imagined, self-inflicted, moral, or just plain attention seeking dietary needs. (one year my niece and nephew, 6yrs and 12, announced vegan, lol) For game-side i would make dips with every dipper veg available. I ended up getting the list for different diets and made stuff up. Actually ended up being not much different than what we eat with a few adjustments...for example, a humus without beans.... 4 cups peeled & chopped raw zucchini 2 cups roasted califlower, chopped (optional) 3/4 cups tahini (sesame paste) 1/2 cup fresh lemon or lime juice 1/4 cup olive oil 4 cloves of garlic, peeled 2 teaspoons kosher salt (or to taste) 1 Tbl ground cumin tender center with leaves of celery cilantro with stems, to taste -puree in blender A salsa, a bana coda, a goat cheese pesto dip...i use my harvested roasted toms with veggies from the freezer and add lime, cilantro, and red onion when thawed for salsa. I have even included the recipe under the serving bowls, lol. So tired of all the questions of ingredients,...(after a few days when everyone turns kook.) Cooking keeps me out of the chatter for the most part. I make a ton of each, have serving bowls prepped and ready but have back-up quarts for re-filling if needed. (and good left-overs if one dip is not so popular) I like the chicken strips on skewers idea and maybe shrimp. Prepped ahead and popped in the oven if something warm is needed. With a nice Asian nutty sauce. (roasted pumpkin seeds?) A family favorite is tortilla pizza. Low carb, gluten-free, this and that tortilla options in a health food store. Many options for toppings and can be chosen for each diet individually. I prep all ahead in the morning...onions mushrooms simmered, roasted peppers and veg, a variety of cheeses, different meats...a mandoline is key for a thin edge of potato or sweet potato. The tortilla is thin and gets crispy quickly. Not a dough thick pizza...more about the toppings. Seems to please everyone no mater the diet issues. A prosciutto roll up with cheese and veg on parchment is a no crust option. This one is asparagus, mozz, tom and arugula with pesto under the thin potato edge. -my personal favorite is onion, gorgonzola, prosciutto, artichoke heart with an egg, (broken yolk) cracked on top. : )...with a pesto potato edge. This post was edited by sleevendog on Mon, Sep 16, 13 at 1:04

Here is another low fat one. Sunset magazine first suggested making these to take camping, so the instructions are geared to travel. I just make 'em and eat 'em. I use very little oil because I hate frying... Thai Turkey Sausage From Sunset magazine Perfect for campouts, you can cook up a big batch of patties at home and freeze. Heat them in camp for a great breakfast with eggs or hash-browns (Wilderness Cuisine author Carole Latimer uses sweet potatoes), tangerine juice, and papaya wedges. Notes: It's easiest to mince lemon grass in a food processor or minichopper. For best texture, mince the remaining ingredients with a knife. 1 pound ground turkey 1/4 pound green beans, ends and strings removed, minced 8 green onions, ends trimmed, minced 1 stalk (5 to 8 in.) fresh lemon grass, tough outer layers, stem end, and coarse leaves removed, minced 3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro 2 to 3 teaspoons fresh serrano chilies (2 or 3), stemmed, seeded, and finely minced 2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce (nuoc mam or nam pla) 1 large egg 2 tablespoons cornstarch 1/4 teaspoon sugar About 2 tablespoons olive oil 1. At home: Mix turkey well with beans, onions, lemon grass, cilantro, chilies (lesser amount for mildest flavor), fish sauce, egg, cornstarch, and sugar. Divide into 16 equal portions and shape into 16 patties, each 1/2 inch thick. 2. Pour oil into a 10- to 12-inch nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add a few patties, without crowding. Cook until brown on each side and no longer pink in center (cut to test), about 7 minutes total. Remove as cooked and drain on paper towels; add more patties to pan. 3. When patties are cool, freeze in a single layer in a metal pan until hard, then seal airtight in plastic freezer bags. Transport in an insulated chest. 4. In camp: Place frozen patties in a 9- to 10-inch nonstick frying pan over low heat, cover, and cook until warm, 3 to 5 minutes; turn at least once.