1. Beans
Beans make a great side dish to most any meal, and they don’t contribute to your fat intake much at all. They’re virtually fat free, and part of that fat is healthy fat. They’re great for those watching their blood sugar levels, something we should all be doing, and they’re very easy to prepare and don’t take much time at all. They’re also a source of antioxidants, something that many don’t realize. If you have trouble digesting beans, try soaking them or at least rinsing them off before cooking with them, and opt for organic to help cut down on the amount of indigestion you experience.
2. Skim Milk
Skim milk is the fat-free way to go when it comes to milk. It’s good to add this to smoothies for added protein, and to soups to make them creamy without adding fat. Skim milk is great to use on cereals instead of whole milk because many cereals on the market will contain fat, so you won’t be adding to the fat content of your breakfast. If you’re working out and supplementing with protein shakes skim milk is a great mixer because of its added protein and nutrients with no fat. Compared to using water you’ll get a thicker, creamier shake.
3. Lentils
Lentils are often overlooked as a fat-free food source, and they provide plenty of great benefits like being high in fiber, and helping to stabilize blood sugar levels. The best way to eat lentils is to buy them raw and cook them up as needed. You simply boil them until they’re tender and serve them up. The great part about that is you can usually find organic lentils in bulk at your local health food store, and the price is usually very reasonable for such a tasty side dish. There isn’t much nutritional difference between the different colors, so try them and see which ones suit your palate best.
4. Cottage Cheese
You can opt for fat-free cottage cheese, and you’ll notice that the top ingredient is nonfat milk. Cottage cheese is packed with protein and can be used in conjunction with weightlifting to tone up your muscles. Getting stronger or bigger muscles is a way to boost your metabolism so that you burn up calories even while you’re resting and sleeping. Try using cottage cheese as a substitute for the fattier ricotta cheese. It tastes great on top of a plateful of spaghetti, and gives it that cheesy taste without the fat.
5. Green Tea
Green Tea contains no fat, and has so many antioxidants in it, it’s often referred to as the healthiest drink you can have. You can get your green tea fix in any number of ways, including tea bags, or going a more traditional route by using matcha, the powdered form of green tea that is used in traditional Japanese tea ceremonies. No matter which way you go you’ll be getting extra benefits with green tea than with other types of teas, because it isn’t processed as much, which lets it retain more of its antioxidants.
6. Apples
Apples are a fat-free fruit that you can rely on when you’re hungry and on the go. You can also incorporate it into your morning breakfast, or as part of your lunch. There are several healthy dinner recipes that feature apples, and in addition to being fat free they’re also really good for you. Turns out there’s plenty of truth in them keeping the doctor away, you just have to figure out a sustainable way of including them in your daily diet.
7. Kale
Kale clocks in at nearly a gram of fat per 100 gram serving, but the good it does far outweighs any effect its fat content will have. In fact, eating a balanced diet involves eating several different types of foods to get a nice range of nutrients, so it’s a bit myopic to eat foods or avoid foods based on one factor like their fat content. A food like kale does so many good things for the body that the fat content shouldn’t even be a factor in deciding whether or not to eat it.
8. Oranges
Oranges are a fat free fruit that provides plenty of benefit, from the Vitamin C it has, to the fiber. You can’t go wrong with an orange added to part of your morning meal. Just be sure to eat the entire orange and don’t rely on orange juice to help you get started. Most conventional orange juices on the market are going to contain added sugar, which isn’t going to help your cause if fat loss is the goal.
9. Spinach
Spinach is a fat-free food that you can use on just about every diet program on the planet. Many vegetables out there contain only trace amounts of fat, and should definitely be eaten as part of an health-conscious diet. Spinach just happens to be one of those veggies that everyone knows is good for you, and it really is. There’s more vitamins and minerals in a serving of spinach than just about every other vegetable out there.
10. Broccoli
Broccoli is another fat-free vegetable option that yield plenty of health benefits in addition to being low in fat. It contains less than a gram of fat, and is packed with fiber, protein, and Vitamin C. Broccoli is easy enough to serve up as a side dish, and you’ll find plenty of entrees that include broccoli in them in some way. A vegetable stir fry is one way to get a lot of nutrition without a lot of fat, and broccoli can be a big part of that. Adding boneless and skinless chicken breast to it will give it protein and help round out the meal without contributing to the fat content.
11. Yogurt
Yogurt comes in a fat-free version by using nonfat milk as the main ingredient. This makes it a great option for adding thickness and creaminess to a smoothie, while keeping the fat content down. Be sure to avoid the brands out there that are advertised as fat free, but contain plenty of sugar or artificial sweeteners to make it taste better. Go with a fat-free no sugar added variety for best results.
12. EggBeaters
EggBeaters are made with egg whites and do not contain the egg yolk, where all of the fat in the egg resides. This is where the lines blur in regards to whether it’s better to eat just the whites, or to eat the entire egg. In addition to the fat egg yolks contain, there are also several vitamins and minerals which provide plenty of benefit to the body. The debate rages on as to whether these benefits are trumped by the fat content, or vice versa.
13. Bananas
Bananas have just a smidgen of fat, and can essentially be considered fat-free. This makes them a great anytime snack that’s highly portable. They’ll give you energy without making you feel sluggish, and they won’t make you fat as long as you don’t overdo it and eat too many of them at once.
14. Spices
Season up your food with seasonings and spices and you won’t be adding any fat to your meal. This is a great way to experience rich flavor without upping your fat intake. Often fat is added to food to make it taste better. When you strip away the fat, you often strip away the taste. You can reclaim some of that flavor by creatively using a blend of spices that will perk up your taste buds without putting a burden on the number on your scale.
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