Alternatives that are lower in fat and
calories are available for both meat and
full- fat dairy products. If you eat a
variety of foods and get enough calories,
you can get enough protein even on a
vegetarian diet.
How:
-Legumes and soy products such as
tofu are excellent alternatives to
animal sources of protein. A ½-cup
serving of cooked beans, peas, lentils
or tofu is about the same as a 2-
ounce serving of meat, poultry or
fish.
-Use skim milk or low-fat yogurt and
cheese instead of full-fat dairy
products.
-Don’t make meat the focus of your
meals. Instead, build the main part of
your meal around vegetables, fruits
and whole-grain rice and pasta.
-Go for quality instead of quantity.
Instead of a large piece of mediumquality
meat, have a small piece of a
good-quality cut.
-Trim all visible fat from meat sources
and remove the skin from poultry
before eating.
-Choose meat, poultry or fish that’s
roasted, broiled, baked or grilled
rather than fried — and avoid any
entrée that’s breaded. The manner in
which food is prepared greatly affects
how much fat and calories you
consume.
-If buying ground turkey, buy
packages marked “ground turkey
breast” versus “ground turkey,” which
may have the skin added.
-Include more meatless meals in your
diet, including stir-fry dishes,
casseroles, salads, and even
sandwiches (generously stuffed with
veggies).
-Try whole-wheat pasta with tomato
sauce and lots of cut-up broccoli,
zucchini and bell peppers. Enjoy
pizza with onions, peppers,
mushrooms, tomato slices and
artichokes. Or make a meal of red
beans and rice, split pea or lentil
soups, or meatless three-bean chili
(with kidney, black and garbanzo
beans).
-Substitute baked or grilled fish for red
meat — at least two servings of fish
are recommended each week. Along
with being lower in saturated fat than
is meat, fish such as albacore tuna,
salmon, mackerel, herring and
sardines are high in omega-3 fatty
acids that reduce your risk of
cardiovascular disease.
-Try veggie burgers or veggie hot
dogs, which are often made with tofu,
grains or vegetables.
-Boost your calcium consumption with
calcium-fortified juices, breads and
cereals, soy products, and dark
green, leafy vegetables such as
collard greens and kale.
Throughout the day you’ll make
decisions that affect how well you
follow this program. “Do I eat a
hamburger and fries or a salad?” “Do I
go for a walk or not?” Be prepared for
those moments of decision and push
yourself to make the right decision.
Don’t hesitate — do it! Pretty soon the
healthy choices will become habits.
