The Best Low Fat Diet Plan – What to Eat and Avoid

If you want to lose weight effectively, you have to reduce the intake of food rich in fat as fat contains more calories than that is found in proteins and carbohydrates. Taking excess of fat may increase the cholesterol level I the body and also cause various other problems like fatty liver, diarrhea and lower absorption of nutrients. However, all types of fats are not bad for you. Some are necessary for a healthy body, skin and hair. There are two types of fats.

Saturated fats:

This fat is found I meat and dairy products like full cream milk, butter etc. and is harder than other fats. Saturated fat is also found in vegetables in the form of trans-fats. They are found commonly in biscuits, cakes and pastries. You must have saturated fats as little as possible as they can increase the level of cholesterol in the body and increase your weight.

Unsaturated fats:

Fruits, vegetables and nuts contain unsaturated fats. Monounsaturated fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids and omega 3 fatty acids are some of the unsaturated fatty acids. They are good fats that are useful for your health.

What is Low Fat Diet:

Low fat diet is a diet plan that limits the intake of fat to about one third of the total calories that you take in per day. The diet you take must contain very less saturated fats as it can increase the cholesterol levels and cause heart attack. This diet consists of whole grains, vegetables and fruits. Having this diet helps you in preventing certain diseases and in losing weight.

Low fat diet involves consuming of lots of vegetables and proteins and this helps in providing you with high energy but less fat. You must take care not to completely avoid fats as some fats are essential for the body and provide the body energy and fat soluble vitamins like Vitamin A,D E and K. This diet focuses on having food that contain good fat but avoiding unhealthy fat.

What to Eat on a Low Fat Diet Plan:

Careful consumption of grains, dairy and eggs:

Along with vegetables, fruits and vegetables you must also have enough whole grains. The dairy products you take in must be skimmed and low fat products. When you have eggs, choose egg whites and try to avoid egg yolk. Have lean meat like chicken and turkey instead of beef, pork and meat that is processed. Fish is also good.

Foods that you must avoid:

Some of the foods that are high in fat and you should avoid are oil, nuts, seeds, mayonnaise, full fat dairy, skirt steak, porterhouse, ribs and brisket, margarine and processed meat. Fish oil and olive oil are good for you in moderate amounts because they contain omega 3 fatty acids and monounsaturated fats respectively.

Unlimited Fruits, vegetables and legumes:

Having lots of legumes like beans and lentils, as well as vegetables and fruits makes you healthy and lose fat. They contain less fat and calories but they are full of fiber that keeps your stomach full, preventing you from overeating.

Rules to follow and Foods to be avoided in this Diet Plan:

Avoid leftover food:

Avoid leftover foods, particularly seasonal candies.

Eat wholesome and healthy food:

Consume lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grain pastas as well as bread and grains. It is recommended that you have at least 9 servings of these foods per day.

Do not skip breakfast:

Have a wholesome breakfast with whole-grain cereals and milk products with low fat or free of fat. This will maintain the levels of blood sugar in your body and keeps you without starvation till lunch time.

Drink lots of water:

Water is needed for proper digestion of the food you consume and it also keeps you full for a longer time. So, always keep a bottle of water with you and drink from it frequently.

Eat healthy snacks:

Always have healthy and nutritious snacks like fruit, air-popped popcorn, low fat yogurt, raw veggies, wholegrain crackers and so on instead of oily and fried snacks, sweets and sugary food.

Have at least one vegetarian meal once in a week:

Vegetables are full of fiber and nutrients and also low in calorie. So, if you are a non vegetarian, have at least one vegetarian meal once in a week. You can have pasta with roasted vegetables or three-bean chilli, which is delicious and low in calorie.

Have fish once or twice in a week:

Fish is very good for your health and is also low in calorie. So you must have fish as a part of your diet and this will help your  lose weight effectively. Fish like salmon are rich in omega 3 fatty acids, which is good for your health, skin and the hair.

Have regular exercise:

Along with proper diet, exercise is also necessary for having a healthy and fit body that is free from any disease. Exercise done regularly help you in losing more calories, and therefore lose weight. Exercise does not mean that you have to go to a gym and have a workout. Walking briskly for about 30 minutes to 1 hour is also a good exercise to burn calories.

Minor portions or serving sizes:

Besides taking care of the food you eat, you must also be careful about the portion of food that you consume. Check the food package and know exactly how much of everything does a serving constitutes.

Effectiveness of Low Fat Diet Plan:

Food high in fat lead to weight gain. So always keep an eye on the food you eat and make sure that they are low in fat. Just lowering the intake of fat is not sufficient. Even fat free and transfat free foods contain high calories, which may get stored in the body as fat. So cut down the calorie intake as well. Packaged foods that are low in fat usually are high in calories because the manufacturers add sugar in them to improve taste and texture. So, be careful when you have such foods.