A low-fat eating plan involves consuming just 20 to 30 percent of your daily calories from fat. Some very low-fat diets, such as the Ornish Plan, call for less than 20 percent of your calories to come from fat. Whether you follow a low-fat diet plan as prescribed by your physician or to help manage your weight, focus on naturally low-fat foods as the foundation of your diet.
Importance of Dietary Fat
The Institute of Medicine recommends consuming a minimum of 20 percent of calories from fat daily. Some dietary fat supports important body functions, such as hormone production and vitamin absorption. Certain types of fat, specifically unsaturated versions, support brain development and may help lower your cholesterol. Fat also helps make you feel satisfied as it digests slowly and improves the taste of food.
Meals
A low-fat eating plan starts with breakfast. Low-fat choices include oatmeal with skim milk, fresh berries and 1 tsp. of honey; an egg white omelet with mushrooms, spinach and chopped tomatoes; or a smoothie made with nonfat yogurt, frozen fruit and orange juice. For lunch, a low-fat southwestern salad made with crisp romaine lettuce, black beans, red onion and chicken breast fits neatly into your low-fat diet. Dress the salad with salsa, and add a few slices of avocado for a small amount of healthy fat. Fill a whole-wheat pita with a salad made with drained, water-packed tuna, lemon juice, nonfat yogurt and capers, or enjoy a bowl of minestrone soup with a whole-wheat roll. Low-fat dinners include whole-wheat pasta with extra-lean ground turkey and marinara sauce or shrimp and broccoli stir-fried in 1 tsp. of oil served over brown rice.
Snacks
Snacking can be a healthy part of any eating plan as it helps keep your hunger in check and provides extra nutrition missed at your main meals. For a low-fat eating plan, snack on cut-up vegetables, toasted whole-grain bread with all-fruit spread or whole fresh fruit. Nonfat yogurt and cottage cheese with raisins or applesauce are additional snack options.
Considerations
Stick to foods naturally low in fat, rather than processed products that have had the fat removed. Many of these "low-fat" or "fat-free" products have additional sugars or carbohydrates added to replace the fat. As a result, these products still contain a high amount of calories and may not satisfy you as much full-fat versions, causing you to eat more in the long run.
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