Healthy Food: Start by cutting the fat in half, work down from there

Start by cutting the fat in half; work down from there. Fats are calorie heavy with 9 calories per gram, while carbohydrates and protein have just 4 calories per gram.

* Read labels to find low-fat and fat-free options for favorites like milk, cheese, yogurt, sour cream, half-and-half, ice cream and whipped topping. To adjust more easily, make a gradual switch from reduced-fat to low-fat and then on to fat-free ingredients.

* Use part-skim cheeses instead of their higher fat counterparts, or use lesser amounts of sharper-flavored cheeses like Parmesan, feta or gorgonzola.

* Canola, soybean and olive oils are good fats to use for stir-frying, cooking and some baking because they have less saturated fat than many other options.

* Egg substitutes can replace eggs at a savings of 5 grams of fat each (1/4 cup = 1 large egg).