By Vegan Victoria, Certified Nutrition Consultant
Going low-fat.. Is it a good move? For me, I’ve found it really helped shed some pounds and get me in leaner shape while increasing my energy level. Don’t get me wrong. We still need fat, the healthy kind you get in nuts, seeds, avocados, olives and coconut. But we only need a small amount.
How much fat should we eat? I’ve seen recommendations vary from 10% to 30% of our diet. It depends on your own situation and metabolism. I try to keep my fat intake to about 15% of my daily total calories – or 25 grams a day. Here’s the math; I try to consume 1500 calories a day. 15% of that is 225 calories for fat. 1 gram of fat has 9 calories so 225 divided by 9 = 25 grams.
Find out what's happening in Danvillefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
What does 25 grams of fat look like over the period of a day? It would mean 2 tablespoons of chia seeds (9 grams) in my morning smoothie, 1/3 of an avocado (6 grams) in my salad, and a few walnuts (10 grams) used in my home-made hummus. There’s even healthy fat in vegetables and fruit; 8 grams in a cup of corn, ½ a gram in a cup of broccoli and a 1/3 of a gram in an apple.
Feeling full with more than fat. I just read an article saying it’s essential to consume fats to feel full. http://www.deborahenos.com/2014/05/is-your-salad-making-you-tired/?utm_campaign=Salad&utm_medium=ema...
Find out what's happening in Danvillefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
This article by my friend Deborah Enos, known as the One-Minute Wellness coach, recommended adding a large helping of avocados or full-fat dressing to a salad to avoid feeling hungry a short time later. But I’ve found the best thing to add to a huge salad to keep me full is some protein (usually ½ cup beans) and also complex carbohydrates, like ½ cup of brown rice, quinoa or boiled potatoes. That, along with a serving of fruit for dessert will keep me full for a good 3-4 hours. And as I mentioned in a previous post, I really try not to consume the fats in a liquid version like oil. It doesn’t fill you up the way solid food does and a little oil packs a huge punch in terms of both fat and calories.
And a word of warning about eating processed “low-fat food”. That, unfortunately, is not a healthy option since food giants add a lot of sugar and salt and additives to off-set the lack of fat. As I’ve seen on the internet, “When you see Low-Fat or Non-Fat, think Chemical Sh#$%-storm”.
