This archive report was first published on 30 June 2020.
Removing Excess Oil from Food: A Simple Step to Healthy Eating ¶
Published on June 30, 2020
Removing excess oil from food is a simple step to keeping your calories in check. However, it doesn't mean you have to give up on fats entirely and stick to veggies only.
Here are some tips on how to get rid of excess oil from common foods:
Broth ¶
After boiling meats or poultry to make soup, the broth can end up being very oily. You can use an ultra-fine mesh skimmer to remove oil and any unnecessary food particles.
Alternatively, let the broth sit for a few minutes to cool, then refrigerate it. The fat in the broth will congeal and stay in the jar when you empty its contents.
Gravy ¶
After cooking your meat, fat and juices may come out making gravy. To minimize on the fat, add a few ice cubes. The fat will cool and solidify, separating from the thick sauce.
Another option is making the gravy earlier and refrigerating overnight. The following day, the fat will have hardened and can easily be removed with a spoon.
Minced Beef ¶
Excess oils from ground beef can also be removed by rinsing it with hot water. A study by Loma State University shows that this method removes fat content by 50%.
Do this twice and be careful when handling the hot water to avoid accidents in the kitchen. You can also consider choosing leaner alternatives when buying your ground beef for healthier life choices.
Vegetables ¶
How we cook our vegetables makes a huge difference. To ensure that the right amount of oil is used, just spritz your non-stick cooking utensil with cooking oil spray instead of adding oil or butter directly.
If you make a mistake and use too much oil while cooking veggies, judiciously add hot water until the vegetables are tender but not overcooked.
French Fries ¶
Deep-frying in itself is an unhealthy method of cooking, but if you have an air fryer, you can get away with deep-frying. Sometimes removing oil is as easy as practicing better cooking methods like steaming or baking as opposed to shallow frying or deep frying.
If you still want to enjoy your French fries, bake them on your oven and season them with salt, paprika, or your spice of choice for added flavor.
