Q. This time of year, I like to serve pot roast. Do you have a lower-fat and easy recipe for this?

A. The meat for pot roast can be a fairly lean cut of beef, so that's the good news. I like to trim off whatever fat I see on the roast before I do anything to it, because a portion of the visible fat will inevitably melt into the roast drippings. Also, avoid adding fat and calories to our now naturally lean roast with assorted and sundry high fat, calorie or sodium ingredients.

In this recipe, only a couple of teaspoons of canola oil are used to help brown the roast (to increase the flavors from browning and seal in juices), and lower-sodium beef broth and mushroom soup are used (we are getting plenty of sodium from the gravy mix and onion soup mix). I also switched to fresh sliced mushrooms (similar recipes call for canned), and diet cola instead of regular.

I like how this pot roast turns out very flavorful and sliceable even after cooking most of the day in the slow cooker. And it makes its own gravy, too.

A similar size of untrimmed pot roast with homemade gravy contains 500 calories and about 30 grams of fat (11 grams saturated).

MARGIE'S EASY (SLOW COOKER) POT ROAST & GRAVY

2 teaspoons canola oil

2 1/2-pound boneless round rump roast

2 cups diced potatoes (with peel)

2 cups baby carrots

1 sweet onion, sliced

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 1/3 cups low-sodium beef broth

1 envelope dry onion soup mix

1 can Healthy Request Cream of Mushroom soup (as is, do not add water)

1 3/4 cups crimini mushroom slices (plain button mushrooms can be used)

1 cup diet cola of choice

1 packet brown gravy mix

Heat a large nonstick saucepan over medium-high heat. Coat the entire outside of the roast with canola oil and place the roast in the hot saucepan. Brown all sides of the roast and place in slow cooker.

Top the roast with the potatoes, carrots and onions.

Add the remaining ingredients to an 8-cup measure and whisk to blend well. Pour this gravy mixture over vegetables and roast in slow cooker.

Cover slow cooker and cook on LOW for about 7-8 hours. Test the roast for doneness, then pull the roast out with a fork and let it rest on a serving platter for about 10 minutes. Cut into slices and serve with a healthy spoon of the vegetables and gravy.

Per serving: 390 calories, 48 g protein, 20 g carbohydrate, 12 g fat, 3.6 g saturated fat, 5.5 g monounsaturated fat, 1 g polyunsaturated fat, 136 mg cholesterol, 4 g fiber, 419 mg sodium. Calories from fat, 28 percent; omega-3 fatty acids, .3 g; Weight Watchers points, 8; omega-6 fatty acids, .6 g

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