Reduce fat without cutting taste.

It is well-documented that high-fat diets are harmful, leading to obesity, elevated cholesterol levels, and possibly cancer. Yet, like any other lifestyle change, reducing fat is easier said than done. That is why the best method is to lower the fat levels in your diet in stages, advises Kay Stanfill, adjunct assistant professor of nutritional sciences, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center.

"Obviously, there are solid medical reasons for wanting to reduce fat. But many people object to the taste of lower-fat foods. One of the most important things to remember is that your taste perception will change as you continue decreasing the fat. It can take anywhere from six to eight weeks for an individual to become accustomed to a low-fat diet and to find it as fully satisfying, from a taste standpoint, as a higher-fat diet." Once accustomed to the lower-fat diet, many find that high-fat foods taste greasy and objectionable.

To help reduce fat in the diet, Stanfill suggests the following steps:

* Buy leaner meats and trim away all visible fat before cooking. Select cuts labeled "loin" (tenderloin, top sirloin, sirloin tips) and round" (round roast, eye of round, top round). A three-ounce portion of these cuts has less than 10 grams of fat.

* Remove the skin of poultry before cooking.

* Look for lower-fat meat items...