Many popular weight loss plans concentrate on reducing fat intake or reducing carbohydrate intake as a means to reduce overall calorie intake. By eliminating foods rich in carbohydrates and fats, your food choices will be limited, which may help prevent overeating. However, there are still many protein-rich foods you can consume. Protein is beneficial because it supports muscle mass, which helps increase your metabolism. In addition, protein contains 4 calories per gram, while fat contains 9 calories per gram, so low-fat, high-protein foods tend to be lower in calories than fatty foods. Before altering your diet, consult a doctor.
Low Fat Cottage Cheese
Although regular cottage cheese can be high in fat, low fat cottage cheese is lean and high in protein. According to The Daily Plate, 1/2 cup serving of low fat cottage cheese contains just 80 calories. The serving also contains 1g of fat, 13g of protein and 4g of carbohydrates. However, nutrient profiles vary by brand, so be sure to check the nutrition facts panel before adding low fat cottage cheese to your diet.
Tuna
Tuna is an inexpensive protein source that you may find convenient because it comes in cans and pouches and does not require cooking. According to online nutrition resource World's Healthiest Foods, tuna is a source of high quality protein, but also contains other important nutrients. Among those nutrients are vitamins B1, B3 and B6, potassium and magnesium. Although tuna is low in fat, it does contain some omega-3 fatty acids, which World's Healthiest Foods suggests may encourage many benefits. Among them is the potential for omega-3 fatty acids to promote cardiac health--World's Healthiest Foods notes research has found consumption of fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids protects against heart attacks.
Scallops
Many sources of seafood are low in fat, such as scallops. If prepared without oil or butter, scallops can be quite low in fat. According to The Daily Plate, a 4-oz serving of scallops contains less than 1g of fat, 2.6g of carbohydrates and nearly 19g of protein. Scallops also contain low levels of vitamin C and calcium.
Cod
Cod is another low-fat, carbohydrate-free type of seafood. The Daily Plate notes that a 3-oz serving of cod contains 90 calories, with 1g of fat and 20g of protein. Cod does not contain significant levels of vitamins and minerals, but research suggests it may be beneficial for weight loss. A study from the December 2009 issue of the journal "Nutrition, Metabolism & Cardiovascular Diseases" indicates that the more cod study participants ate during a weight loss program, the more weight they lost.
References
- The Daily Plate: Calories in Dean's Low Fat Cottage Cheese
- World's Healthiest Foods: Tuna
- The Daily Plate: Calories in Market Day Scallops
- The Daily Plate: Calories in Wegmans Cod
- "Nutrition, Metabolism & Cardiovascular Diseases"; Consumption of cod and weight loss in young overweight and obese adults on an energy reduced diet for 8-weeks; A Ramel, MT Jonsdottir, I Thorsdottir; December 2009
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