use only a half-pound and replace the remainder with tofu, bulgur or brown rice.

If you make soups, stews or chili, skim any fat before serving. If you allow the dish to cool completely, the fat will rise to the top and congeal; you can then just skim it off and discard it.

Instead of using salt to flavour dishes, get a little creative and use herbs and spices to enhance flavours instead. Parsley, basil, oregano, rosemary and dill are all rich in flavour and will spice up any main dish. The same goes for sugar: if you’re making a dessert, think of replacing sugar with cinnamon, cloves or nutmeg. All of these flavours pack a real punch!

If you’re a fan of baked goods, you can replace the oil or butter in a baking recipe with puréed fruit, such as unsweetened applesauce or mashed prunes. However, if you still want to use fat when you’re baking, then consider replacing butter and shortening with sunflower or canola oil: both are rich in monounsaturated fat, and canola oil also has heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids.

Go vegetarian! There are lots of ways to replace or reduce the