Fight Fat – Eat Your Way Slim

High-fat diets have been associated with heart disease, cancer, and obesity. You can replace high-fat foods with lower-fat alternatives while you trim your body measurements and reduce your cholesterol count. The bottom line is you still need to watch your calories and portion size if you want to trim your figure.

Remember, low fat isn’t always low calorie. You can substitute low-fat foods for your favorite high-fat foods and cut the fat in your diet while you trim the pounds from your body.

Fruits and Vegetables

Select low-fat and low-calorie fruits such as oranges, grapes, grapefruit, watermelon, kiwi, raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, prunes, dark raisins, red grapes, cherries, and plums to boost your antioxidant power. Fruits contain fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Watermelon is 92 percent water so you can eat a healthy serving with a few calories. Enjoy the scent of fresh fruits while you pare the calories effortlessly.

Dark greens and lettuce are excellent sources of vitamins and minerals. Top with low-fat, low calorie dressing or add zest with lemon juice.

Breads, Cereals, Beans

Whole-grain breads are low in fat and high in fiber and complex carbohydrates. Add light popcorn to your diet. This fiber-rich snack has only 30 calories per cup.

Peas, dry beans, and lentils are a good source of protein and fiber without the fat.

High-fiber cereals help you increase your intake of antioxidants.

Add jelly to your toast and skip the butter.

Snacks

Eat vanilla wafers, graham crackers, angel food cake, and gingersnap cookies instead of cookies with cream filling or chocolate. Avoid cheesecake and rich bakery foods such as cookies, doughnuts, muffins, and sweet rolls that can contain more than 50% fat calories.

Eat thin, bite-sized pretzels instead of larger pretzels.

Diary Products

Use skim milk instead of whole milk.

Use evaporated skim milk instead of cream in soups and sauces.

Eat low-fat string cheese for a fantastic source of calcium and protein.

Replace cheddar cheese with low-fat cheddar cheeses. Substitute part-skim mozzarella for cheddar cheese in recipes.

Substitute skim ricotta cheese for cream cheese in dips or on a bagel.

Use plain nonfat yogurt instead of sour cream in recipes. When you use yogurt for cooking, stir one tablespoon of cornstarch into each cup of yogurt to maintain texture.

Protein

Hard boiled eggs are high in protein and low in calories.

Select low-fat, lean cuts of meat. Remove visible fat and skin before cooking.

Grill, bake, poach, steam, or broil your meats, poultry, fish, and seafood rather than frying to get excellent sources of protein without the fat. The body does not convert protein into fat.

Seafood is an excellent source of Omega-3 fatty acids which helps lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease in some people.

Avoid Fat-rich Foods

Instant cereals may have butterfat, high-fat oils, or cream.

Avoid granola cereals that have extra sugars and high-fat oils.

Mayonnaise, margarine, butter, and sour cream can quickly add fat to your diet. Instead select mustard and avoid salad dressings.

Avoid high-fat sauces and gravies.

Fatty red meats and processed meats such as hot dogs, bologna, sausage, and salami have high fat content.

Avoid cream soups. Select soups with broth instead.

Avoid potato chips and chocolate.

Avoid the Sugar Switch

Some foods are low in fat but contain lots of sugar. If you are trying to control your weight, avoid low-fat foods that are high in sugar such as ice cream, cakes, cookies, snack bars, and candies.

Low Fat Substitutions

Use one cup of applesauce instead of one cup of butter in your baking recipes.

Use eight ounces of yogurt instead of eight ounces of cream cheese.

Use two egg whites instead of one egg.