| For various reasons, many of us are choosing to | | | | low in fat. Now, bear with me a bit, because |
| lower the fat in our diets. This desire to be more | | | | these can be deceptive, too. First, note the |
| healthy makes the supermarket a new and scary | | | | serving size. All the other amounts on the label |
| place, where we have to investigate health claims | | | | are based on that amount, not the whole |
| on packages and ignore tempting ready-to-eat | | | | package. If you're only managing your fat intake, |
| counters unless they offer nutrition labels for their | | | | there are only two other items on the label you |
| hot foods. With a little practice, you'll discover that | | | | need to look at. You can ignore that whole table |
| balancing the fat in your diet is easy. This article | | | | of amounts and Daily Value (DV). Look, the label |
| will help you make the right choices to add low | | | | can break fats down into a dozen or more |
| fat food to your regular menu. | | | | categories, but I believe if we keep this thing |
| Why Buy Low Fat Foods? Since a lot of flavors | | | | simple we might actually do it. Instead of that |
| we enjoy are contained in the fats, what would | | | | stuff, look at "calories" and "calories from fat." |
| get us to change? It's a good question that far | | | | With a pocket calculator (or cell phone) divide the |
| too many ask too late in life, after their medical | | | | smaller number by the larger. This should result in |
| condition forces the choice. After we're ill, the | | | | a number that looks like "0.35xx." The first two |
| choices are usually "eat cardboard" or "die." That's | | | | digits after the decimal point is the percentage of |
| no way to live! If we're willing to exercise a little | | | | calories from fat, or 35% in this example. |
| self-control before we're ill, we can have the | | | | Depending on who you listen to, to be healthy, |
| flavorful foods we want and still lower our fats to | | | | your menu should contain around 30% fat. Don't |
| reduce chances of heart attack, cancer, stroke, | | | | freak out on me, now! This doesn't mean you |
| kidney failure and other problems associated with | | | | can't have anything over 30%...it's a balancing act. |
| too high a fat intake. As an added benefit, | | | | Balancing The Fat In Your Diet: The way to get |
| because fats have twice the calories as proteins | | | | to a 30% fat diet and still enjoy the flavor of |
| and carbohydrates, reducing the fats in our diets | | | | those foods with a little higher fat is to balance |
| is a great way to lose weight without dieting. We | | | | the things you eat. If you eat only pre-packaged, |
| just have to take a few simple steps to get | | | | prepared foods, your choices will be limited to |
| started. | | | | those packages that actually have around 30% |
| Not Buying Low Fat Claims: The first simple step | | | | fat, but this includes many very good choices. I |
| to buy low fat foods is to ignore the health claims | | | | use several tasty frozen entrees for convenience |
| on packages in the supermarket. Ever seen the | | | | and have no trouble staying between 20% and |
| claim, "all natural?" This is often used to get you | | | | 30% fat. But, what if you cook your own |
| to think you're buying healthy food. Consider that | | | | foods...how do you know how much fat you're |
| fat, cholesterol, sugar and salt are all 100% | | | | getting? This is where a list of low fat foods can |
| natural, and you can see what good that claim | | | | come in handy. You can balance out the higher fat |
| really is. "Lower Fat" is another popular package | | | | foods (bottom of list) with the lower fat foods |
| claim that bears suspicion. How much lower? | | | | (top of list) to come up with an acceptable |
| Lower than what...pure lard? Of course, the words | | | | amount of fat in your diet. That's really all there is |
| healthy, wholesome, nature, goodness, pure are all | | | | to balancing the fats in your daily diet. |
| used to imply, but not commit to the health value | | | | So, there you have it! The tools to avoid the false |
| of the product. Fortunately, thanks to the | | | | health claims, read the nutrition label and balance |
| Government, there are ways to actually | | | | the fat in your whole diet. You have power to |
| determine if a product is low-fat...enter the | | | | make the right choices in the supermarket so |
| nutrition label. | | | | you'll make the right choices at home. So, let's get |
| Fat And The Nutrition Label: This is the easiest | | | | started! |
| way to determine if a packaged food is actually | | | | |