A low-fat diet should consist of less than 30% of a person’s total caloric intake from fat. It’s important to understand that some fats are essential for good health, and a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol is best. Reading nutrition labels and incorporating low-fat options is key.
A low-fat diet is more complicated than many people realize, because many people mistakenly believe that if they eat only foods that are labeled low or low-fat, they are following a low-fat diet. In reality, less than 30% of a person’s total caloric intake should come from fat on a low-fat diet. This means that a diet based on 2,000 calories should contain only 600 calories from fat. Reasons people try to eat less fat include reducing total fat and cholesterol to reduce health risks such as heart disease, and also to achieve weight loss. Many people struggle with this diet because they don’t enjoy counting calories and don’t know how much total fat is in their food, but it’s not hard to incorporate low-fat options into your life.
Before starting a low-fat diet, it’s important to understand that some fats are essential for good health. Fat is needed to store energy and absorb certain vitamins. A diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol will produce the best health benefit. To keep track of the amount of fat in your diet, learn to read nutrition labels on the foods you buy and eat.
As a general rule, a low-fat diet should include no more than 65 grams of fat per day. Food sources low in saturated fat and total fat include nuts, fish, fruits, and grains. Reading the labels of prepared food products will give you an idea of how many grams of total fat are in each serving. Paying attention to what constitutes a serving is also an important part of tracking total fat intake.
This diet should not only balance total calories with calories from fat, but should be implemented in smaller, more frequent servings. Your body will begin to make metabolic changes as total fat intake is reduced, and eating smaller portions more frequently helps maintain the body’s energy reserve. Eating small meals along with healthy snacks in between each of the healthiest ways to implement a diet. To lose weight on a low-fat diet, you need to get enough exercise to burn more calories than your body consumes.
Some simple changes to start this diet include switching to skim milk, avoiding fried foods, and substituting traditionally high-fat dairy products like sour cream and cream cheese with fat-free versions or yogurt. Many recipes can be modified to fit the parameters of a low-fat diet by making reduced-fat or no-fat substitutions. Check your supermarket shelves for the right products. If you’re having trouble developing a diet that works for you, see your family doctor or nutritionist for ideas.
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