Here at Table we get dozens of letters from you every month, many of which ask for more waistline-friendly recipes. We hear you sisters. After all, who doesn’t want more ideas for quick, simple, yummy family dinners and snacks that also happen to be good for you? The result is our annual Low-Fat Issue, packed full of inspiration for health-conscious cooks. Hopefully you’ll have grabbed a September issue by now (available at Coles and newsagents for $3.95) and tried the Thai Chicken Soup (p39), Spaghetti with Creamy Coriander Sauce (p81) or perhaps the to-die-for Chocolate Meringues with Cherries on our cover.

The question we’re often asked is how our food editors come up with the low-fat recipes we feature. The answer is a combination of years of experience working with food, lots of testing and a little bit of outside help from Table nutritionist Karen Kingham, who analyses every recipe to see that it fits our criteria of 5g or less of fat per 100g. On the occasions that a recipe contains too much fat, the food team will work with Karen to revise it in a way that doesn’t compromise that other all-important factor, the taste.

One thing you have to remember about the fat content of a recipe is that it is often responsible for much of the flavour – such as in buttery mash or creamy gratin – so if you reduce the amount you use, you have to replace it with something else. In commercially made products the ‘something else’ is often sugar. But at home flavourings like fresh or dried herbs and spices, onion, garlic, lemon juice and vinegar are great ways to add oomph to a dish without affecting the bottom line. A great example is the Indian Rice with Chicken & Peas (p52, see photo at right), which uses the spice cumin, sliced onion and chicken stock to impart a deliciously aromatic flavour.

Cooking techniques are also important - grilling and steaming lend themselves to low-fat cooking in a way that pan-frying, roasting and frying don’t. And if you have a non-stick pan you really don’t need to add extra oil when cooking, not only saving you valuable kJs but a whole lot of messy splatters on your cooktop. How good is that!    

We demonstrate how simple it is to cook sensational seafood at home, with insider tips on selecting and preparing whole fish and fillets, foolproof cooking, quick tests for checking if it’s done and microwave shortcuts to make it even easier. Plus, we reveal how to recognise the environmentally responsible packaged seafood products available from your local supermarket. The only thing we don’t show you how to do is catch them!  

But, believe it or not, being kilojoule-conscious doesn’t have to mean depriving yourself. Even chocolate isn’t off the menu on a low-fat diet. Don’t believe us? We have six scrumptious chockie recipes to prove it. The September issue also features guilt-free afternoon tea treats, from blueberry scones to iced cupcakes, and an impressive three-course dinner party that’ll be all light on the night. Oh, and if you’re a vegetarian, there are 16 tasty recipes the family will love.

So head to Coles or your local newsagent now for a copy of Australian Table and tuck into the best spring eating this side of the equator.