Examples of Low-Fat Diets

Faulty food habits, lack of exercise and stressed lifestyles often lead to weight gain among men and women alike. Doctors will often advise you to cut down on fatty foods to lose weight and get fit. According to the American Heart Association, a low fat diet will focus on keeping fats to 30 per cent or lower within the meal plan.

Breakfast

• As part of a diet with reduced fats, start your breakfast with a whole fruit like an apple or orange or juice of the same. You can also have a cup of skimmed or low-fat milk with bran flakes or oatmeal. Avoid muesli or any other cereal with elevated content of sugars. You can have a grilled or baked tomato and beans, the white of an egg, one slice of toasted wheat bread with fat free margarine and a cup of black, unsweetened tea or coffee. Another option for breakfast could be a combination of whole grain waffles with low fat cheese and blueberry topping along with a cup of skimmed milk. A third low fat meal plan for the morning could include a cup of 1 percent milk with a maximum of one tablespoon of half and half, one and a half cups of cereal like cheerios and no more than 12 ounces of unsweetened black decaffeinated coffee.

Lunch

• A sample lunch menu for a low fat diet could consist of a cup of boiled vegetables like carrots, beans, peas and broccoli with a tablespoon of vinegar or non-fat dressing, a couple of ounces each of cottage cheese and tuna or other broiled/grilled fish or chicken, one single whole wheat bread roll, a fruit like an apple or a low fat fruit yogurt. Wash it all down with a glass of water or fruit juice. Another low fat lunch option could be six florets of boiled broccoli served with a baked potato and vinegar-dipped tomatoes and pickle with lettuce. End this meal with half a cup of low fat yogurt with a handful of fresh strawberries. If you need a third lunch menu option for a low fat diet, you can have a couple of slices of whole wheat bread, a couple of ounces of broiled turkey or any other lean meat or fish with a single tablespoon of mayonnaise. End this meal with one medium-sized orange and 12 ounces of diet decaffeinated soft drink.

Dinner

• A sample dinner menu for a reduced fat diet can include four ounces of lean animal protein like turkey, chicken or fish, a cup of boiled carrots, peas and beans and half a cup of cooked rice or pasta or one baked potato. Add to this a cup of fresh salad with lettuce, onions, tomatoes and olives topped with a cup of low fat custard or yogurt. You could replace this option for dinner with a cup of cooked steamed white rice, five ounces of broiled halibut, six florets of boiled broccoli and a cup of fresh salad with tomatoes, lettuce and peppers with one tablespoon of low fat salad dressing. Top off this meal with no more than 12 ounces of diet soft drink.