Foods that are high in fat can derail a dieter easily, as per gram, fat contains more calories than either carbohydrate or protein. You can eliminate much of the fat from your diet by replacing foods that are high in fat with foods that are fat-free. As you'll see, fat-free foods can be a delicious part of your healthy diet.
Fat-free Yogurt
Fat-free yogurt provides a healthy boost of calcium and probiotics. Choose either plain yogurt or yogurt that has a low-calorie sweetener to avoid excess calories from sugar. Fat-free yogurt contains 130 calories a cup and may also be known as skim milk yogurt. Dress up a bowl of plain yogurt by adding a dash of vanilla, a packet of low-calorie sweetener or a teaspoon of honey and a handful of berries.
Egg Whites
An egg white is a fat-free food that is high in protein--more than 3g--yet the white from a large egg contains only 17 calories. You can make a low-calorie nutritious meal by preparing an omelet with three egg whites, an ounce of low-fat cheese and a handful of spinach leaves. Egg whites are a good way to cut some of the fat out of your favorite baked goods as well. Replace two whole eggs with one whole egg and three egg whites to eliminate 60 calories and 5g of fat.
Beans
Beans are a staple food in cuisines all over the world. They are inexpensive and, as luck would have it, fat-free. Sprinkle them on salads for a bit of a protein boost, make a creamy bean soup or mash them up and spread them on a tortilla to make a burrito. Add flavor to beans by serving them with salsa, cooking them in chicken or vegetable broth, or adding herbs and spices such as cilantro and cumin. A cup of beans can range from 210 to 255 calories, according to the USDA Nutrient Database. Canned beans in sauce, such as baked beans, may contain fat and sugar and usually contain more calories.
Spinach
Spinach, along with many other greens, is a nutritional powerhouse. You can juice it with an apple to make a delicious fat-free energy drink, add it to soups and egg dishes, make a salad with it or eat it sautéed with a bit of garlic. You'll only consume seven calories per cup of uncooked leaves.
Apples
An apple--or two or three--a day may keep the weight away. That's what a study published in Nutrition in March 2003, conducted by researchers at the State University of Rio de Janeiro, concluded after they asked a group of individuals to eat an apple with each meal and compared their weight loss to a control group. Individuals who ate apples with their meals lost weight, while the people who didn't eat the fruit did not. One medium apple contains 80 calories and not a gram of fat.
References
- Nutri-facts: Egg, White, Raw, Fresh
- Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services: The Heart Truth for Women (PDF)
- USDA: USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 17--Energy (PDF)
- "Nutrition"; Weight Loss Associated With a Daily Intake of Three Apples or Three Pears Among Overweight Women; Conceição de Oliveira M, Sichieri R, Sanchez Moura A.; March 2003
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