Eating a low-fat diet is a proven way to lose weight and maintain your health over your entire lifetime. Consuming excessive saturated fats is linked to increased risk for heart disease, obesity and diabetes. To reach your ideal weight, have energy for daily activities and reduce your risk of chronic diseases, the United States Department of Agriculture, or USDA, recommends eating a low-fat diet that is high in nutritious vegetables, whole grains and lean meats.
USDA Recommendations
The USDA's 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggests adults should consume less than 10 percent of all daily calories from saturated fatty acids, and less than 300mg of cholesterol--often present in high-fat foods--per day. Your total daily fat intake, which also includes mono-unsaturated, "healthy" fats, should be no more than 20 to 35 percent of your daily calories. Focus your fat intake on mono- and poly-unsaturated fats, and limit your consumption of saturated and trans fats as much as possible.
Maximizing Calorie Value
The USDA reports that many Americans consume their recommended limit of daily calories--between 1,800 and 2,800, depending on age and gender--but don't get enough of some necessary nutrients from that intake. Maximize the nutritional content of your caloric intake by eating low-fat foods like whole grains, low-fat milk and dairy products, dark green leafy vegetables and lean meats or legumes.
DASH Diet
The low-fat DASH Diet--Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension--recommends specific foods and serving amounts for a daily low-fat eating plan. A 2,000-calorie plan should include seven to eight servings of grains, four to five servings each of fruits and vegetables, two to three servings of low- or non-fat dairy products, two or fewer servings of lean meat and poultry, and two to thre servings of unsaturated fats per day. Nuts, seeds and legumes and sweets should be limited to five or fewer servings per week.
Suggested Low-Fat Foods
Low-fat, high-nutrient foods include whole-grain products like whole-wheat bread, oatmeal, pitas, bagels, cereals and popcorn; low-fat or fat-free dairy foods like milk, yogurt and cheese; and lean meats such as fish, chicken, and other meats that are broiled or roasted rather than fried. The fruit and vegetable choices are endless: dark green leafy veggies like spinach, collard greens and broccoli; orange veggies like sweet potatoes, carrots and squash; and salad fixings like tomatoes, potatoes, artichokes, green beans and peas. Fruits include bananas, grapes, citrus fruits, berries, peaches, apricots and melons.
What to Avoid
Bypass the snack and dessert aisles at the grocery store. Processed foods, sweets and packaged baked goods often contain unhealthy saturated and trans fats, in addition to sugar and artificial colors and flavors. Stay away from fried foods. Even fat-free or low-fat cookies or sweets contain additional sugar or sweeteners to compensate for the lack of fats. Enjoy a piece of fruit for dessert instead.
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