One way to manage or lose weight is to cut calories. The types of food associated with the most calories are fats. Here are eight tips to help you eat a lower-fat diet.

Before we proceed to the tips, here is some food for thought. Your body needs a certain amount of fat each day for cellular function. Fats are important for the production of a whole host of enzymes, chemicals and cellular needs. The problem is that we often eat the wrong types of fats and therefore gain weight.

1. Start with dairy.
There is hidden fat is cheeses and milk. If you drink whole milk, slowly step down your milk fat until you can drink skim milk. Or, choose soy milk, which contains the protein and vitamins you need without the extra fat.

2. Exchange thick sauces and creams for broths.
You eat broth in your soup. Use it as a base for marinating and cooking other foods. Instead of water, use chicken broth to cook rice and noodles. The broth will flavor them so there is no need to add butter or margarine.

3. Try vinegar and oil on your salad tonight.
Creamy salad dressings add a ton of fat. Just look at the label. Use flavored vinegars and vegetable or olive oil to top your salad. Lemon also works but is more bitter.

4. Go without fried foods.
Frying makes the skin crispy and good but the skin is the part of the chicken we don’t need to eat. Opt for baked chicken that has been marinated or try oven fried chicken instead. Remove the skin before battering the chicken.