No-Fat Food Options

No-Fat Food Options
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A food with the words "no fat" or "fat free" on the label means it contains less than 0.5 g of fat per serving, as dictated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Your body cannot function normally without fats. Fats should represent a minimum of 20 percent -- but not over 35 percent -- of your daily calories. Saturated fats are usually referred to as bad fats and come from animal products like meat. Unsaturated fats are good fats and come mainly from vegetable sources including nuts and avocados.

Fruits and Vegetables

Raw lemon juice is one of very few fruits or vegetables common to the Western diet that contain zero grams of fat. However, almost all fruits and vegetables contain no fat by U.S. Food and Drug Administration food labeling standards because they contain trace amounts of it. These include grapefruit, kiwi, cantaloupe and oranges, raw mung bean sprouts, broccoli, cabbage and corn. No vegetables are listed in the USDA Nutritive Value of Foods chart as having zero grams of fat.

Grains

Whole grains and grain products offer many no-fat food options. However, just like fruits and vegetables, these foods contain trace amounts of fat. Whole grains common in a Western diet that have trace amounts of fat per 1-cup serving include couscous, instant white rice and air-popped popcorn. Grain products with a trace amounts of fat include one piece of plain matzo, one whole-grain rye wafer and one fat-free oatmeal cookie.

Sauces

Pour sauce on your food for flavor without adding fat to your meal. Sauces with zero grams of fat include 1 tbsp. Worcestershire or teriyaki sauce. Sauces with trace amounts of fat include 1 tbsp. barbecue, salsa or soy sauce and 1 tsp. hot pepper sauce.

Dairy

Many dairy products are available in a fat-free version, including milk, yogurt and cheese. They are equally as nutritious as the full-fat version, and they include protein and calcium to build muscles and strengthen bones.

Calories

Just because a food comes in a version with no fat, such as fat-free cookies, does not mean it has less calories than the full-fat version. Ingredients required to make a no-fat version of the food that tastes like the full-fat version, including sugar and thickeners, can add many calories and grams of sugar.

References

Article reviewed by Adela McKay Last updated on: May 12, 2011

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