Jan
High fat diets have long been associated with heart disease and elevated cholesterol levels, along with other ailments. When you’re looking to lose weight, low-fat meals are even better for the usually low amounts of calories they provide.
One gram of fat usually contains nine calories, while an equivalent serving of protein or complex carbs carries only four calories. Stripping the fat off your diet means being able to eat more filling food while actually consuming less calories. That’s the main reason why reduced-calorie diets consisting primarily of lean protein and whole grains are able to leave you satisfied, despite the measurably less volume you end up partaking in.
Fats are necessary parts of everyone’s diets, though, so adding some form of it should promote general wellness compared to leaving it off entirely. What’s more important is to distinguish between bad types of fat (saturated and trans fat) and healthy ones. To make sure you keep the good fat in your diet while staying away from its harmful brethren, try preparing your food using good fat sources like:
- Canola oil
- Grapeseed oil
- Chicken and vegetable broths
- Low-fat dairy products (milk, cheese, yogurt and sour cream)
- Fresh herbs and spices
- Nuts
- Fruit products (with no sugar additives)
Also, grill meat products instead of frying them whenever you can, to avoid the added fat content from cooking oils. Of course, it goes without saying that preparing your own food is vital when going on a low-fat diet - you simply can’t tell what restaurants are putting in theirs. Chances are good, even, that anything you get from commercial places will be filled with either high-fat butter or sugar to enhance the taste, along with many types of preservatives.
