Mention steak or pork chops to a meat lover and their eyes light up like a burger on a grill. There’s no doubt that meat is tasty, and it also has some good nutritional value, but its typically high-fat content can make it something of a diet danger. Reduce your fat intake from meat by following these simple suggestions:

• Trim off all visible fat and remove skin from poultry before cooking
• Choose red meat with little marbling
• Choose the white meat of turkey or chicken over beef or pork
• Choose low-fat versions of salami, bacon and sausage
• Add extra beans, lentils, vegetables, rice or pasta to meat dishes to fill them out
• Eat modest portions (3.5-4 oz)

When it comes to fish, choose fresh or frozen, unbreaded fillets. When cooking fish or meat choose baking, grilling, dry-roasting, and steaming over frying to reduce the fat content.

Spreads, sauces and dressings are a great addition to grilled meats, breads, vegetables and salads, but not if they come “dressed” in fat. Many sauces are almost off-the-scale when it comes to fat content. Alfredo, cheese and creamy sauces are some of the worst. Instead of destroying the goodness of your food with fatty add-ons, try these tips:

• Squeeze lemon and lime or sprinkle fresh herbs over your meat
• Use yogurt or applesauce in place of cream and oils in sauces
• Use high-fat spreads sparingly and spread as thinly as possible
• Put a light peanut butter spread on your morning toast or use sugar-free jams instead of butter or margarine