From Fiona Haynes,
Your Guide to Low Fat Cooking.
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So you’ve steamed your fish, poached your skinless chicken breasts, or grilled your lean beef. What side dishes can you serve with your lean or low-fat entrées so you don’t sabotage your healthy low-fat dinner? Here are some low-fat side-dish options to consider, with some low-fat side-dish recipes at the end:

Side Salads

Salad is often a good choice as a low-fat side dish, though in some instances, it may not seem very filling, and you could be tempted to eat again later. If you do choose salad, make sure it’s a healthy salad. Iceberg lettuce with half a cup of blue cheese dressing and a sprinkling of crumbled bacon does not constitute a healthy salad!

Think dark leafy greens, from red-leaf lettuce to peppery arugula or spinach. Add crunchy vegetables such as carrots, sweet peppers, jicama, red onions, radishes, raw broccoli or cauliflower florets.

For added crunch, add low-fat croutons—either store bought or cubes of day old bread sautéed, or baked, with a hint of olive oil cooking spray and sprinkled with herbs.

Keep your salad dressing low fat or fat free. There are plenty of perfectly good low-fat bottled dressings available at the grocery store, though watch their sugar and sodium content. Make your own light vinaigrette using three parts vinegar to one part oil—the reverse of the standard oil to vinegar ratio. Or make a creamy low-fat buttermilk dressing using low-fat or fat-free buttermilk, some fat-free mayonnaise and herbs.

Pasta and Rice

Serving food on a bed of rice or pasta is just fine, so long as you choose whole grain pasta, and limit the amount you serve. All too often we serve an entrée atop a massive mound of rice or pasta, but one serving is supposed to be a half cup of cooked rice or pasta. Resist the temptation to smother your pasta with high-fat butter or cheese. A teaspoon or two of heart-healthy extra-virgin olive oil would be a better choice.

For added flavor, cook rice in low-sodium, fat-free broth instead of plain water. Throw in some chopped veggies or dried fruits for added interest. Add herbs and spices, too.

Don’t forget couscous, which is an excellent alternative to rice, and quicker to prepare, too. Boost its flavor by using fat-free broth instead of water.

Other Grains

It’s easy to tire of noodles and pasta, so try a little variation. Try kamut, bulgur, barley, and my current favorite, quinoa, which is a perfect substitute for rice or pasta. Quinoa is more a seed than a grain, so has some fat content (though the heart-healthy variety), but it’s a highly nutritious grain and worth adding to your diet. For those of you who are gluten-intolerant and sick to death of rice or potatoes, quinoa makes a nice change. If you keep portions in check, enjoy quinoa and other grains as often as you enjoy rice or pasta.

Another favorite is polenta, which is made from cornmeal. Polenta can be soft or firm, although the firm polenta that comes in tubes is more convenient than cooking it from scratch. Cut the tube into slices and either sauté or broil them until they’re golden and crispy on the outside. You can even cut polenta into rectangles or wedges and oven-fry them as substitute fries.