Heart Healthy Diets - Getting Started on a Low-Fat Diet

Heart Healthy Diets
- Getting Started on a Low-Fat Diet

by Dorothy "Dotty" Dutton
(California, USA)

Doctors and the American Heart Association have been urging us to follow a low fat diet to improve our health. With the exception of young children, the research suggests that most people can improve their health by reducing their fat consumption.

Our current high-fat lifestyle leads to serious medical problems, including obesity, cancer and heart disease.

This means choosing lean meats and avoiding added fats, but it also means we need to eliminate sources of hidden fat in the diet.

Some sources of hidden fats are whole fat dairy products, red meats, pastries, desserts and high-fat salad dressings and condiments. Read the labels carefully to make sure the products you buy are not loaded with hidden fats and sugars.

Get Enough Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Even though you are lowering your fat intake, it is important to note that some fats are healthy. It is important to get enough omega-3 fatty acids to protect the brain and help the body function.

Omega-3 fatty acids are found in nuts and seeds, vegetable oils and in cold water fish.

What is a Healthy Fat Level for Your Daily Diet?

Currently it is recommended that adults reduce their total fat intake to less than 30% of their total calories. This averages out to approximately 60 grams of fat per day if you are eating an 1800 calorie diet.

Additionally, of the 60 grams of fat, most of it should be unsaturated fats. Limit saturated fats to less than 20 grams a day.

Children under the age of two need to eat whole foods and should not have their fat consumption restricted as long as they are eating a healthy diet.

Foods to Avoid on a Low Fat Diet

When following a low-fat diet it is necessary to exclude or limit high-fat foods such as red meats, whole dairy products like butter, cream, whole milk and ice cream and high-fat condiments like mayonnaise, margarine and many salad dressings.

Trim visible fat off of meat before cooking and avoid high-fat meats whenever possible.

Foods to Enjoy on a Low-Fat Meal Plan

Eat a wide variety of whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Make sure that you include a small amount of omega-3 rich foods like nuts, seeds, flaxseed oil, soybean oil and cold-water fish like salmon, herring and mackerel. Enjoy small portions of lean meats and eggs.

One added benefit of a Low-Fat diet is that fat is the most calorie-dense part of our foods. Lowering the fat content of your food will lower the calorie content as long as you watch out for added sugars.

Many commercial low-fat foods have a lot of added sugar to improve the flavor.

Heart Healthy Diets - Getting Started on a Low-Fat Diet

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Heart Healthy Diets
- Getting Started on a Low-Fat Diet