You don’t have to cut meat, dairy and pastries out of your diet plan completely- it’s often just a matter of making smarter choices and removing us much of the fat as you can. By choosing low-fat versions of your favourite foods and using healthier cooking methods, you can shave up to hundreds of calories from your meal without even noticing.

Here’s how to reduce fat from common foods…

Soups

Use a vegetable stock (or just water) and season the soup with herbs, which add a richness to the soups without the extra fat. You can also soften vegetables with a small splash of olive oil beforehand. If you’re making a soup with meat in it, you might get a lot of fat dispersed throughout. A good trick is to chill the soup after cooking. The extra fat will form a layer on the top, which you can then easily skim off before reheating and serving.

Cream

Instead of using lots of cream in your cooking, try a low-fat yogurt, or use half and half. You should also try to use it as a garnish at the end where possible, rather than as your main ingredient in the dish.

Red meat

Make your red meat more diet-friendly by choosing lean cuts and trimming off any visible fat. You should also try to keep your portions of meat down- a healthy serving size is 85 grams, or about the size of a deck of cards, although some say up to 150 grams, or the size of the palm of your hand, is okay too. In any case- it’s a lot smaller than what most of us normally serve up! Use smaller quantities of meat in your meals and make up the volume with vegetables or legumes to keep you feeling full.

Poultry

Remove the skin from chicken before cooking- most of the fat content is just under the skin, so it will drip away when you remove it. Another good habit is to buy organic chicken or turkey, which actually has a better flavour.

Fish

Fish are a good source of essential fats (the good kind) like omega 3 and omega 6, which are used by the body to reduce inflammation, balance hormones, and produce elastic connective tissue, and have also been thought to support brain function and your metabolism. But save fried fish for a rare treat- instead, try grilling or broiling to avoid adding in lots of extra fat while cooking.

Cheese

Choose strongly flavoured cheeses, which will help you to use smaller amounts in your meals without sacrificing on taste. Another good trick is to add the cheese to the top of the dish, instead of in the meal. You can also look for lower-fat cheese like cottage cheese, Edam, Gouda or Jarlsberg.

Sandwiches

There are lots of ways to make your sandwich healthier- filling up on vegetables, using lean cuts of meat, avoiding cheese. But one of the easiest fat-reducing changes you can make is to use less margarine or butter. You should also pay attention to the dressings you use- mayonnaise is full of fat, so try switching it for mustard or hummus, which will give you a delicious flavour without all the extra calories.

Salads

Again, focusing on reducing fat from dressings is your best bet. Avoid mayonnaise and other thick, creamy dressings. If you’re making a salad at home, make your own dressing with things like herbs, spices, vinegar, cider, organic olive oil, tomato or lemon juice. You can give your salad plenty of flavour by adding in walnuts, almonds, pumpkin seeds or dates. If you’re eating at a restaurant, ask for the dressing on the side and use it sparingly.

Pastries

The fattiest pastries are cheese, short crust, or flaky pastries, so avoid these as much as possible. Try using a filo pastry on the top of the dish only, or instead use potato or oats to create the crunchy texture you need.

Milk

Use non-fat milk, especially for cooking- you won’t even taste the difference, and you can save lots of calories. You can also try skimmed milk powder when making sauces and custards.