There is nothing quite as good as a hot bowl of soup or a hearty stew on a cold winter day. The following are some tips on how to prepare healthy, low-fat dishes that can keep you warm on a cold winter day:

• Select lean cuts of meat and trim off all visible fat.
  
• Remove the skin from poultry.
  
• Use dried beans to replace meat.
  
• Use low-fat or skimmed milk instead of whole milk or cream.
  
• Use food of plant source such as vegetables, fruits, and grains.
  
• Use vegetable oil such as canola oil and olive oil.
  
• Avoid animal fats such as lard and chicken fat.
• Use low-fat cooking methods such as steaming, poaching, baking, and broiling.

The cooking of healthy, low-fat dishes does not have to take a lot of time. The fat from soup or stew can be skimmed to make them fat-free. Using a fat-separating cup which has a special sprout that pours liquid from the bottom and leaves the fat on top can be used to remove the fat from soup. Another way to reduce the fat content of soup and stew is to refrigerate them for several hours to freeze the fat for easy removal.

The following are some quick and easy to prepare recipes for stew and soup that can keep you warm on cold winter days:

Low-fat Recipes for Stew

• Chicken Noodle Stew

Ingredients:
450 gm skinless chicken breasts, cut in bite-size pieces
1 1/2 cups mixed peas and carrots
3/4 cup sliced celery
1 medium onion, chopped
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
120 gm noodles (2 cups dry)
3 cups water

Cooking Methods:
Mix chicken with all the ingredients in a saucepan except the noodles and mixed peas and carrots. Simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Add remaining ingredients. Simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes or until the noodles are tender.

Yield and Nutritional Information:

• Italian Seafood Stew

Ingredients:
450 gm fish fillets, cut into small chunks
1 cup chopped onion
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
1 can (240gm) tomato sauce
6 medium tomatoes, cut up
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon each of dried basil, dried oregano and dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup white wine or chicken broth

Cooking Methods:
Mix all ingredients, except fish, in a saucepan. Simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add fish chunks and cook for 10 minutes or until done.

Yield and Nutritional Information:

Low-fat Recipes for Soup

• Chicken Soup

Ingredients:
120 gm skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut in bite-size pieces
5 cups chicken broth, fat removed
2/3 cup sliced celery
1/2 cup sliced carrot
1/2 cup peas
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon minced parsley
60 gm sea shell pasta (1 cup dry)

Cooking Methods:
Place chicken, celery, carrot, onion, parsley, and broth into stock pot. Boil, reduce heat, simmer, covered, until vegetables are tender. Add peas and pasta. Cook for about 15 minutes or until pasta is tender. Stir frequently.

Yield and Nutritional Information:

• Black Bean Soup

Ingredients:
2 cans (450 gm each) black beans, drained, and rinsed
1 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup salsa
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
1 1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1 1/2 cups water

Cooking Methods:
Put all the ingredients in a saucepan. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Yield and Nutritional Information:

1cup = 240 ml