A low-fat diet is the key to heart health, as well as weight loss and maintenance. Many who seek a 1,500-calorie diet that provides essential daily nutrition and low-fat foods choose the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) eating plan. The DASH diet, developed by the National Institutes of Health, uses food variety to break dietary habits that rely on "bad" fats and sugars. Healthy food menus are low in fat and sodium yet high in nutritional value.
Breakfast
Hearty low-fat breakfasts rely on fat-free milk or soy milk for protein. A healthy breakfast might include 1 cup of oatmeal topped with 1 tablespoon of brown sugar and 1 cup of nonfat milk or soy milk. Add a banana on the side. While coffee isn't part of the DASH diet, if you're not watching your blood pressure, go ahead and indulge. It contributes only 2 calories (without cream or sugar).
Lunch
Tuna salad and a glass of milk add important nutrients to a 1,500-calorie diet, including protein, calcium, flavonoids and fiber. On the DASH plan, make your lunch with ½ cup tuna (packed in water and drained), 2 tablespoons of nonfat mayonnaise, ¼ cup chopped celery and 15 grapes. Serve it on a bed of Romaine lettuce (1½ cups) with 8 Melba toast crackers and a cup of fat-free milk.
Dinner
If you wait until dinner, eating meat can easily be part of a 1,500-calorie diet. Broil or grill beef and vegetable kebabs, and add pineapple (two rings) or serve it on the side. Trim 3 oz. of lean beef and cut it in bite-sized pieces. Skewer it with about a cup of raw vegetables, such as onions, mushrooms or zucchini. Most vegetables can be included in a low-fat diet if cooked without added butter or oil. Enjoy this healthy food with a carbonated beverage made from 4 oz. of cranberry fruit juice blend and 8 oz. of sparkling water.
Dessert
Desserts or snacks reward those who stick to healthy food with something sweet. If you are diabetic and counting carbs, you may have to reduce carbohydrates in other meals to accommodate periodic snacking. Stick to your low-fat diet by emphasizing fruit and fat-free yogurt. For instance, 1 peach and 1 cup of yogurt can provide a snack anytime.
Nutritional Analyses
Your 1500-calorie diet should average that number of calories over a week of meals. The daily menu above contains 1,513 calories (without a cup of coffee). It remains in the low-fat realm with less than 30% of calories from fat, or about 16.5 g total fat. It provides ample protein (91 g) and fiber (22 g), and not too many carbohydrates (about 280 g). Depending on which vegetables you choose, you'll get as many as 747 mg calcium and 3,103 mg potassium.
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