Current controversy questions the role of no fat foods in dieting for weight loss but they do have their place in long-term healthy eating habits. For instance, controlling weight and blood cholesterol are good reasons to incorporate fat-free foods into the everyday diet. Calories accompany fat, and both can be addressed in one fell swoop when you make nonfat choices among healthy foods.
This doesn't mean you should eliminate fat in your diet. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend a daily "fat" maximum of about 30 percent (or less) of your total calorie intake. That is about 20 grams of fat for a 2,000-calorie diet. If you find yourself pushing the limit, select a snack or menu item for dinner from the following fat-free foods.
Raw Fruits
According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), most raw fruits are no fat foods. There are exceptions, notably avocados, which can pack 10 grams into just half a fruit, depending on the size. Kiwi, peaches and nectarines all have about 0.5 grams of fat per fruit. These are still healthy foods, based on the other nutrition that they provide.
Choose fat-free foods from the rest of nature's fruit basket. Berries of all kinds make excellent breakfast and dessert additions. Melons, grapes and bananas make filling snacks. Plums are the nonfat choice in stone fruit, and citrus fruits can be turned into juice, salad dressings or table condiments.
Raw Vegetables
The FDA touts raw vegetables as healthy foods for their fiber and mineral content, as well as for their nonfat properties. Cooking vegetables won't affect that status---unless you add fat, such as butter, oil or margarine, when cooking or at the table. Sweet corn (2.5 grams per ear) and broccoli (0.5 grams per stalk) are the only exceptions.
Substitute no fat foods, such as salsas for butter on baked potatoes. Add condiments, such as soy sauce and lemon juice, to keep your vegetables on the list of fat-free foods.
Prepared Foods
Use product labeling to choose no fat foods among grain-based items, such as baked goods and dairy selections. Labels will help you zero in on 0 grams of fat as well as the total calorie count. Then you can decide if the fat trade-off is worth it. For instance, while a nonfat muffin may represent a savings of 10 grams of fat, it still has 120 calories. If you have room in your total calorie count for the day, nonfat muffins are healthy foods to include in your diet.
The same goes for nonfat milk, sour cream, yogurt and frozen yogurt. As you enjoy the lack of fat with all that flavor, remember that the calories do count.
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