Earlier this year it was revealed that fatty recipes in celebrity cookbooks are "exacerbating" the country's obesity crisis. And ever since HuffPost UK Lifestyle have approached said books with caution.
While it's true that not all fat is bad for you, diets with high saturated fat levels can lead to cognitive decline and alzheimer's.
To help expert advisors to the Fat Information Service have devised 10 simple recipe rules to help people reduce their saturated fat intake when following a recipe. From indulgent celebrity chef dishes to household classics this latest news from FIS aims get people ‘recipe savvy’ when cooking to ensure their meals are healthier without compromising on taste.
The Fat Information Service Recipe Rules:
1. If the recipe includes cream, replace with lower fat fromage frais, natural yoghurt or crème fraiche.
2. Swap whole milk for semi skimmed or skimmed milk.
3. If you are using cheese to flavour a dish or a sauce, opt for a strong tasting cheese and use a smaller amount of it. Alternatively, try a reduced fat version.
4. Swap butter for vegetable oil based spreads or margarine.
5. Use unsaturated oils such as olive, sunflower or rapeseed oils instead of butter, lard or ghee.
6. Wherever possible grill meat and poultry instead of frying it and cut off any visible fat or skin before cooking.
7. Use a non stick pan to avoid adding extra fat when cooking.
8. Add less meat to stews and casseroles and replace with pulses and extra vegetables instead.
9. When making a pie opt for just one crust – either a lid or a base – as pastry is high in saturated fat - (also try to make pastry with vegetable oil based spreads or margarine instead of butter).
10. Grill, bake, poach or steam rather than frying and roasting.
Head to HuffPost UK Lifestyle for the latest diet advice.