Fill your plate with low-fat, high-taste foods - includes recipes

Better Nutrition, Oct, 1996 by Candyce Norvell

Low-fat foods aren't what they used to be. Today, low-fat foods are often high-fat foods that have had the fat processed out of them. On the one hand, there's nothing wrong with that. On the other hand, a steady diet of reduced-fat potato chips and fat-free cheesecake is not the way to health and happiness. For that you need regular helpings of the old-fashioned kind of low-fat foods the ones nature designed.

Low-fat foods prepared by

mother nature

Fruits, vegetables, and whole grains are the starting point for a healthful low-fat diet. Most are naturally low in fat and high in nutrients. (See the few exceptions below.) Since they're also high in fiber, they're filling. They allow you to eat a lot of good food without eating a lot of fat. Build your meals and snacks around them.

Soybeans and the foods made from them are a good source of low-fat protein. Boiled soybeans are about 9 percent fat and 17 percent protein. Tofu is only about 5-9 percent fat (firm tofu is slightly higher in fat than regular), and tempeh is about 8 percent fat. Soyfoods can be used instead of meat to make traditional dishes more healthful. (See our recipe for Calico Chili for an example.)

For snacking, try bite-sized pieces of fresh fruits with a fat-free yogurt dip or veggies with salsa. Popcorn popped without oil is low in fat. Rice cakes (only about 35 calories each, and no fat) come in lots of varieties. They're good by themselves or with dips, so they'll save you a lot of calories compared to chips.

Watch out for foods that

might fool you

Avocados, for instance. First of all, they act like vegetables, but they're actually fruits. More to the point, since they're obviously produce of some kind, you might think they're low in fat. In fact, they're 86 percent fat. The same is true of olives: they're fruits, and they're 83 percent fat. Coconuts, like most nuts, are also very high in fat.

Soups can fool you, too. They will be high in fat if they're based on cream or on chicken or beef stock that contains fat. If you buy canned stock and soups, buy fat-free or low-fat versions.

How do you handle high-fat foods?

Eat high-fat foods in small quantities, and enjoy them. Reduce the amounts of fatty foods that you use in cooking, and substitute a lower-fat alternative when you can. And, only occasionally, buy processed versions of naturally fatty foods that have been fat-reduced.

In other words, eat high-fat foods in small quantities. For example, olives are a wonderful, natural food that happen to be high in fat. But that's okay - they're not meant to be a main dish.

Nibble two or three along with a plateful of veggies. Similarly, sun-flower seeds are good food that pack a lot of fat. Sprinkle a few on a fruit salad, don't gobble them by the bagful.

Reduce the amounts of high-fat foods in recipes: When baking, use half as many nuts as called for; in a casserole, use half the cheese; if you cook with meat, use less than the recipe calls for, or substitute with turkey or tofu.

Substitute low-fat foods.. Leave out nuts altogether, and substitute with toasted oat flakes; use fat-free yogurt instead of sour cream., try yogurt or applesauce instead of oil in baking. (These substitute ingredients work especially well in substitute cocoa powder (fat-free) for chocolate (fatty). Instead of salad dressing, try salsa. Dress your baked potato with fat-free yogurt flavored with mustard and/or herbs.

Eat processed, low-fat foods

sometimes

Once in a while, the only thing that will make you happy is a bag of potato chips. Or a tuna salad sandwich with gobs of mayo, like your mom used to make. Or a double fudge brownie with ice cream. Be grateful for those anonymous scientists who thought of liposuctioning food instead of people, and treat yourself to a reduced-fat binge every now and then.

The best way to ensure a steady consumption of healthful whole foods is to combine them in a homemade dish like soup, chili, an entree salad, or a casserole of any type. We invite you to try one or all of these recipes and seek out others to add to your family's low-fat food menu.

Calico Chili

From Cooking American Favorites With Soy, published by the Indiana Soybean Development Council. Serves 8 to 10. Each serving has 159 calories and 4 grams of fat.

1/2 pound (about 3 1/2 cups) dried soybeans, soaked overnight 1 cup chopped carrots 1/3 cup each red, green, and yellow bell peppers 1 cup chopped onions 1 cup chopped celery treats for kids 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 16-ounce cans chili-style diced tomatoes 1 16-ounce can dark red kidney beans, drained 2 Tbsp chili seasoning 2 Tbsp seasoned pepper 1 tsp dried oregano Condiments: (as desired) low-fat shredded cheese fresh chopped cilantro fresh chopped onions

Place soybeans in 4-6 cups water and allow to soak overnight. Remove and drain the following day.

Crock pot version: Bring 3 cups beans and 4 cups water to boil and simmer for one hour. Drain. Place all ingredients in crock pot. Stir to blend seasonings. Set on low and cook 8-10 hours. Top with condiments as desired.