Examples of low fat diets

Fat-free yogurt with fresh fruit is a low-fat, low-calorie lunch item.

A low-fat, low-calorie lunch can stave off afternoon hunger without putting you over your daily goals for calorie intake. A low-fat, low-calorie lunch contains 400 to 500 calories, or one-third the amount of calories on a diet with 1, 200 to 1, 500 daily calories. It has no more than 30 percent of calories from fat or 13 to 17 grams of fat.

High-Protein Foods

Many kinds of soup are low-fat and low-calorie. Clear, broth-based soups, such as vegetable and chicken noodle, tend to be low in calories and fat. High-sodium soups are bad for your blood pressure, so choose low-sodium canned soup or make your own soup with low-sodium broth or bouillon. Avoid full-fat, cream-based soups, such as cream of mushroom, celery and chicken soup and clam, corn and potato chowders, because they are high in fat and calories.

Salads can be satisfying low-calorie and low-fat lunch items. Greens, such as spinach or romaine lettuce, are fat-free and contain less than 20 calories per cup. Other chopped vegetables, such as cauliflower florets, cucumbers and tomatoes, are fat-free and have no more than 30 calories per cup. A lean source of protein, such as grilled chicken breast or hard-boiled egg whites, makes your salad more interesting and filling. Choose a light dressing, such as reduced-fat Italian with only 11 calories per tablespoon.

Leftovers

Your dinner leftovers can be a low-calorie, low-fat lunch for the next day. When you are cleaning up from dinner, store your lunch in a container and place it in the refrigerator so that you can take it with you in the morning. Whole-wheat pasta is nearly fat-free, and it contains 174 calories per cup. You can add fat-free, low-sodium tomato sauce. Some steamed broccoli or another green vegetable is a healthy side dish.