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What's a Good Low Fat Diet Plan?

A low fat diet plan has been promoted by experts for some time now as being our best way to lose weight. It has been said that too much fat in our diets is the main cause of obesity and is also bad for our hearts.

Whilst in general this is true it's a slight over-simplification. For one thing, a certain amount of fat is essential in our diet, for the proper function of the brain, nervous system, and immune system, amongst other things.

The other point is that most people need to reduce the total number of calories, independent if these calories are consumed as fats or as refined carbohydrates. Many people in the modern western world consume too much carbs and fat, and in order to lose weight it is necessary to cut back on one or the other, or maybe both.

The supporters of a low fat diet plan claim that a reduction in fat consumption will benefit a person enormously by decreasing their risk of heart and artery disease, and perhaps gallstones.

Ideally, low fat diets should be called medium fat diets as, cutting fat consumption to zero is not so good since you run the risk of missing out on important nutrients such as omega-3 fat from oily fish, omega-6s from nuts and seeds, plus various fat-soluble vitamins.

A good low fat diet is one that encourages the consumption of foods that are naturally low in fat, such as vegetables, fruits and lean meat, which also contain good amounts of nutrients, protein, and fiber.

It's not a good idea to rely on buying foods that are manufactured and promoted as "low fat" since they are invariably high in carbohydrates (sugar!) which completely negates any benefit the reduced fat content would give you. These foods are like this because fat is an essential component of the texture of a food and if absent, some form of compensation is necessary, and this seems only to be possible by adding sugars.

A low fat diet plan should steer clear of all manufactured fats as far as possible, especially transfats. It will also entail cutting back on all manner of full fat dairy products and convenience foods. Beware of fried foods which have a particularly high fat content, and artificial snack foods such as crisps, cakes and biscuits. You will find an extensive selection of healthy low fat snacks at this website.

Cheeses and meats should be eaten in lower fat versions or eaten in smaller portions. White meats, especially chicken and turkey, are less fatty than red meats. Fish is fine to eat regularly, as any fats contained are “good” fats.

A typical low fat diet day might go something like this: For breakfast start the day with cereal, preferably oat-based, plus fruit, fresh or tinned, yoghurt and honey. An alternative might be a slice of wholemeal toast with jam and orange juice.

Lunch could be a ham and cream cheese sandwich or a chicken salad and bread roll, followed by a fresh fruit salad.

Dinner in the evening could consist of grilled white fish with herbs and new potatoes, or perhaps spaghetti Bolognese using lean mince and wholemeal pasta.

Low fat meals are somewhat similar to those of the Mediterranean diet, focussing as they do on natural foods, with an emphasis on vegetables and fruit, and a general reduction in meats and meat products. There are many meal plans and recipes available online so that in no way is it necessary to run out of ideas.

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