Building a low-fat high-fiber diet means filling your plate with beans and veggies while keeping fatty, processed foods at bay. Processed foods such as frozen pizza, hot dogs, snack cakes and potato chips all have a high fat content with little nutritional value. If you crave more flavor from your favorite high-fiber foods, experiment with spices to give them a kick.
Dietary Guidelines: Fat
The government's Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend you keep your daily fat intake between 20 and 35 percent of your total calories. If you're following a 2,000-calorie diet, that means eating no more than 400 to 700 fat calories per day. Of those calories, they also suggest no more than 10 percent come from saturated fats or trans fats. Instead, aim for healthier fats like those found in vegetable oils, oily fish and nuts.
Dietary Guidelines: Fiber
According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, a low fiber diet usually means a diet without enough fruits and veggies. The guidelines go so far as to state that fiber consumption is a matter of public health concern because so few adults or children get enough of it. Both of the government-recommended eating plans, the DASH diet and the USDA Food Guide, recommend approximately 30g of dietary fiber per 2,000 calories.
Foods to Encourage
Good sources of fiber that are also low in fat include fruits, veggies, whole grains, nuts and beans. Switching from processed white flour to whole wheat flour gives you almost 10g more of dietary fiber per 100g of flour. Serve whole wheat versions of everyday favorites such as bagels, pancakes, bread and pasta. According to Colorado State University Extension, high-fiber fruits include apples with the skin, blackberries, pears and raisins. High-fiber veggies include baked beans, split peas, lentils, cooked yellow corn, cooked winter squash and boiled peas.
Foods to Avoid
According to the American Heart Association, foods high in saturated fat include meats such as beef, veal, lamb and pork, as well as full-fat dairy products such as cream, milk and cheese. They suggest you also avoid plant-based oils such as coconut oil, palm oil and cocoa butter. Stick with lean meats such as chicken or turkey, and use low-fat or non-fat versions of your favorite dairy products, making sure they're made with less than 2 percent milk. If you avoid margarine, shortening and partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, you can keep your consumption of trans fats to a minimum.
Menu Ideas
To add fiber to your breakfast, the Mayo Clinic suggests you start with a fortified breakfast cereal or---in a pinch---your regular cereal sprinkled with wheat bran. Your lunch might include an apple with a whole-wheat peanut butter sandwich, or a healthy wrap made with a whole-wheat tortilla, grilled veggies and chicken. For dinner, experiment with whole grains, using rice, barley, quinoa and other grains as a bed for stir-fried veggies and lean meats. Beans and lentils contain heaping servings of fiber, and you can make them tasty with blends of spices such as curry powder, coriander and cumin.
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