Get your score
Sample meal plans › Low-fat
A sample week: low-fat diet
Keeps fat to about 20-30% of calories by choosing lean proteins, nonfat or low-fat dairy and little added oil or butter. Meals lean on vegetables, fruit, whole grains and beans.
Not medical advice. A sample week for ideas, not a meal plan made for you. Portions are as written in each recipe and are not matched to your calorie needs. If you have a health condition, food allergies, are pregnant or take medicines (especially for diabetes or blood pressure), check with your doctor or a registered dietitian before changing how you eat.
The week
Meals with a link have a full recipe below. The others are simple meals you can put together without one.
Tips
- Bake, grill, steam or use cooking spray instead of frying.
- Choose skim or 1% milk and nonfat yogurt.
- Do not replace fat with sugar and white flour; keep grains whole.
- Small amounts of healthy fats like nuts and olive oil still have a place.
What studies found
No clear benefit. In the largest diet trial (48,835 US women, 8 years), a low-fat diet did not reduce heart disease (0.97) or stroke (1.02). Howard 2006, JAMA
See what it means for your longevity score
The recipes (23)
Public-domain recipes from U.S. government agencies, reproduced with their credit lines. No endorsement by these agencies is implied.
Summer Breeze Smoothie
Ingredients- 1 C nonfat plain yogurt
- 6 medium strawberries
- 1 C pineapple, crushed, canned in juice
- 1 medium banana
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 ice cubes
- Place all ingredients in blender, and puree until smooth.
- Serve in frosted glasses.
Per serving: Calories: 121Protein: 6 gCarbs: 24 gFibre: 2 gFat: 0 gSodium: 64 mg
Minestrone Soup
Ingredients- ¼ C olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced, or ⅛ tsp garlic powder
- 1⅓ C coarsely chopped onion
- 1½ C coarsely chopped celery and leaves
- 1 can (6 oz) no-salt-added tomato paste
- 1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 1 C sliced carrots, fresh or frozen
- 4¾ C shredded cabbage
- 1 can (1 lb) no-salt-added tomatoes, cut up
- 1 can (15½ oz) low-sodium red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1½ C frozen peas
- 1½ C fresh green beans
- Dash hot sauce
- 11 C water
- 2 C spaghetti, finely broken, uncooked
- Heat oil in a 4-quart saucepan.
- Add garlic, onion, and celery and sauté about 5 minutes.
- Add all remaining ingredients except spaghetti, and stir until ingredients are well mixed.
- Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer about 45 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
- Add uncooked spaghetti and simmer 2-3 minutes only. Serve warm.
Per serving: Calories: 153Fat: 4 gSodium: 191 mg
20-Minute Chicken Creole
Ingredients- 12 oz boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into thin strips
- 1 C canned whole peeled tomatoes, chopped
- 1 C chili sauce (look for lowest sodium version)
- 1½ C green bell pepper, rinsed and chopped
- 1½ C celery, rinsed and chopped
- ¼ C onion, chopped
- 1 Tbsp garlic, minced (about 2–3 cloves)
- 1 Tbsp fresh basil, rinsed, dried, and chopped (or 1 tsp dried)
- 1 Tbsp fresh parsley, rinsed, dried, and chopped (or 1 tsp dried)
- ¼ tsp crushed red pepper
- ¼ tsp salt
- Cooking spray
- Spray sauté pan with cooking spray. Preheat over high heat.
- Cook chicken in hot sauté pan, stirring for 3–5 minutes. Reduce heat.
- Add tomatoes with juice, chili sauce, green pepper, celery, onion, garlic, basil, parsley, crushed red pepper, and salt. Bring to boil over high heat, and then reduce heat to simmer.
- Simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.
Per serving: Calories: 274Protein: 30 gCarbs: 30 gFibre: 4 gFat: 5 gSodium: 383 mg
Grapesicles
Ingredients- 48 green seedless grapes, rinsed
- 48 red seedless grapes, rinsed
- 6-inch wooden skewers
- Thread six grapes, alternating grape colors, onto each wooden skewer.
- Place skewers into the freezer for 30 minutes, or until frozen.
- Serve immediately.
Per serving: Calories: 83Protein: 1 gCarbs: 22 gFibre: 1 gFat: 0 gSodium: 2 mg
Strawberry Banana Yogurt Parfait
Ingredients- 4 C fat-free, no-sugar-added vanilla yogurt
- 2 large bananas, sliced (about 2 C)
- 2 C fresh strawberries, sliced (or use thawed frozen fruit)
- 2 C crumbled graham crackers
- ½ C fat-free whipped topping (optional)
- 4 8-oz wine or parfait glasses
- Spoon 1 tablespoon of yogurt into the bottom of each 8-ounce wine or parfait glass. Top the yogurt with 1 tablespoon sliced bananas, 1 tablespoon sliced strawberries, and ¼ cup graham cracker crumbs.
- Repeat the yogurt, banana, strawberry, and graham cracker layers.
- Top with a rounded tablespoon of fat-free whipped topping, if desired.
- Serve the parfait immediately, or cover each glass with plastic wrap and chill for up to 2 hours before serving.
Per serving: Calories: 179Protein: 6 gCarbs: 36 gFibre: 2 gFat: 2 gSodium: 190 mg
Creamy Squash Soup With Shredded Apples
Ingredients- 2 boxes (16 oz each) frozen pureed winter (butternut) squash
- 2 medium apples (try Golden Delicious or Gala)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 2 cans (12 oz each) fat-free evaporated milk
- ¼ tsp salt
- ⅛ tsp ground black pepper
- Place the frozen squash in a microwave-safe dish. Cover loosely. Defrost in the microwave on medium power for 5–10 minutes, until mostly thawed.
- Meanwhile, peel then shred the apples using a grater or food processor, or peel and finely chop apples into thin strips. Set aside ¼ cup.
- Warm oil in a 4-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add all but ¼ cup of the apples. Cook and stir until apples soften, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in thawed squash and pumpkin pie spice.
- Add the evaporated milk about ½ cup at a time, stirring after each addition.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Cook and stir over high heat just until soup is about to boil.
- Ladle into individual soup bowls. Top each with a tablespoon of the unused apples. Sprinkle with additional pumpkin pie spice, if desired.
Per serving: Calories: 334Protein: 18 gCarbs: 62 gFibre: 5 gFat: 4 gSodium: 370 mg
Baked Fish
Ingredients- 2 lb fish fillets
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- ¼ C fat-free or 1 percent buttermilk
- 2 drops hot sauce
- 1 tsp fresh garlic, minced
- ¼ tsp ground white pepper
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp onion powder
- ½ C cornflakes, crumbled, or regular bread crumbs
- 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 fresh lemon, cut in wedges
- Preheat oven to 475 °F.
- Drizzle lemon juice on fish. Then, pat dry.
- Combine milk, hot sauce, and garlic in a mixing bowl.
- Combine white pepper, salt, and onion powder with cornflakes, and spread on a plate.
- Let fillets sit briefly in milk mixture. Remove a fillet, coat on both sides with seasoned crumbs, and let stand briefly until coating sticks to each side of fish. Repeat for all fillets.
- Arrange fillets on a lightly oiled shallow baking dish.
- Bake for 20 minutes on middle rack without turning.
- Cut into 6 pieces. Serve with fresh lemon.
Per serving: Calories: 183Protein: 30 gCarbs: 10 gFibre: 1 gFat: 2 gSodium: 325 mg
Rainbow Fruit Salad
Ingredients- [For salad:]
- 1 large mango, peeled and diced
- 2 C fresh blueberries
- 2 bananas, sliced
- 2 C fresh strawberries, halved
- 2 C seedless grapes
- 2 nectarines, peeled and sliced
- 1 kiwi fruit, peeled and sliced
- [For honey orange sauce:]
- ⅓ C unsweetened orange juice
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1½ Tbsp honey
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- Dash nutmeg
- Mix the fruit together in a large bowl.
- In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients for the honey orange sauce and mix well.
- Just before serving, pour the honey orange sauce over the fruit.
Per serving: Calories: 96Fat: 1 gSodium: 4 mg
Cinnamon-Banana Overnight Oats
Ingredients- ½ medium banana, peeled
- ½ cup old-fashioned (rolled) oats
- ½-¾ cup lowfat (1%) milk, adding more for a thinner consistency if desired
- 1 tablespoon hulled hemp seeds (hemp hearts)
- 1-3 teaspoons sweetener (e.g. maple syrup, brown sugar, honey), to taste
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Add the banana to a pint-sized jar or other container with a lid. Mash with a fork.
- Add the oats, milk, hemp seeds, selected sweetener, and cinnamon. Stir with the fork to combine.
- Place in the refrigerator and chill overnight, or at least 5 hours.
- Serve cold, or warm briefly in the microwave before serving.
Per serving: Calories: 320Protein: 12.5 gCarbs: 50 gFibre: 6 gFat: 8.5 gSodium: 50 mg
Zesty Black Bean Soup
Ingredients- 3 (15-ounce) cans no-salt-added black beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 cups (16 ounces) low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1 (10-ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes with green chiles, drained
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1-2 tablespoons lime juice, to taste (about ½-1 lime)
- 6 tablespoons nonfat plain Greek yogurt, divided
- 2 tablespoons sliced scallions (green onions), divided
- In a food processor or blender, add the beans, broth, tomatoes with green chiles, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, and oregano. Blend until fairly smooth.
- Transfer the mixture to a medium saucepan and place over medium heat.
- Bring the mixture up to a gentle simmer and let it cook until it is warmed through and the flavors have combined, about 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the lime juice and stir to combine.
- Divide the soup between six serving bowls and top each with 1 tablespoon of the Greek yogurt and ½ tablespoon of the scallions.
- Serve warm, adjusting the flavor with additional lime juice as desired.
Per serving: Calories: 220Protein: 15 gCarbs: 43 gFibre: 12 gFat: 1 gSodium: 80 mg
Heavenly Chicken With Angel Hair Pasta
Ingredients- 1 C onion, finely chopped
- 1 Tbsp garlic, minced or pressed (about 2–3 cloves)
- 4 C broccoli florets, rinsed (about 1 lb)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 8 oz very thinly sliced chicken breast, cut in ½-inch strips
- 1 jar (26 oz) no-salt-added pasta sauce
- ¼ tsp ground cayenne pepper
- ½ tsp salt
- 8 oz whole-wheat angel hair pasta
- Cooking spray
- In a 4-quart saucepan, bring 3 quarts of water to a boil over high heat.
- While the water heats, chop onion, mince garlic, and cut broccoli into tiny florets. Set aside.
- In a large nonstick pan, heat olive oil until very hot. Add the chicken. Cook and stir until lightly browned on both sides, about 5–8 minutes. Place chicken on a clean plate, and cover to keep warm.
- Coat pan with cooking spray. Over medium heat, cook and stir the onion for about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and broccoli. Cook and stir for 2 more minutes.
- Return the chicken to the pan. Add entire jar of pasta sauce, cayenne pepper, and salt. Gently mix to blend ingredients. Cover. Simmer until chicken and vegetables are warmed through, about 4 minutes.
- Drop pasta into boiling water. Cook according to package directions for the shortest recommended time, about 2 minutes. Drain.
- Divide pasta among four dinner plates (about 1 cup each). Top each with one-fourth of the chicken and sauce mixture. Serve immediately.
Per serving: Calories: 452Protein: 31 gCarbs: 66 gFibre: 13 gFat: 10 gSodium: 412 mg
Mango Shake
Ingredients- 2 C low-fat (1 percent) milk
- 4 Tbsp frozen mango juice (or 1 fresh pitted mango)
- 1 small banana
- 2 ice cubes
- Put all ingredients into a blender. Blend until foamy. Serve immediately.
Per serving: Calories: 106Protein: 5 gCarbs: 20 gFibre: 2 gFat: 2 gSodium: 63 mg
Pita Pizzas
Ingredients- 1 C chunky tomato sauce
- 1 C grilled boneless, skinless chicken breast, diced (about 2 small breasts)
- 1 C broccoli, rinsed, chopped, and cooked
- 2 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese
- 1 Tbsp fresh basil, rinsed, dried, and chopped (or 1 tsp dried)
- 4 (6½-inch) whole-wheat pitas
- Preheat oven or toaster oven to 450 °F.
- For each pizza, spread ¼ cup tomato sauce on a pita and top with ¼ cup chicken, ¼ cup broccoli, ½ tablespoon parmesan cheese, and ¼ tablespoon chopped basil.
- Place pitas on a nonstick baking sheet and bake for about 5–8 minutes until golden brown and chicken is heated through. Serve immediately.
Per serving: Calories: 275Protein: 20 gCarbs: 41 gFibre: 7 gFat: 5 gSodium: 486 mg
New Orleans Red Beans
Ingredients- 1 lb dry red beans
- 8 C (2 quarts) water
- 1½ C chopped onion
- 1 C chopped celery
- 4 bay leaves
- 1 C chopped green pepper
- 3 Tbsp chopped garlic
- 3 Tbsp chopped parsley
- 2 tsp dried thyme, crushed
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- Pick through beans to remove bad beans; rinse thoroughly.
- In a large pot combine the beans, water, onion, celery, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Cover and cook over low heat for about 1½ hours or until beans are tender. Stir. Use a spoon to mash the beans against the side of the pot.
- Add green pepper, garlic, parsley, thyme, salt, and black pepper. Cook, uncovered, over low heat until creamy, about 30 minutes. Remove bay leaves.
- Serve with hot cooked brown rice, if desired.
Per serving: Calories: 171Fat: 0 gSodium: 285 mg
Tropical Fruit Compote
Ingredients- ¾ C water
- ½ C sugar
- 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 piece lemon peel
- ½ tsp rum or vanilla extract (optional)
- 1 pineapple, cored and peeled, cut into 8 slices
- 2 mangos, peeled and pitted, cut into 8 pieces
- 3 bananas, peeled, cut into 8 diagonal pieces
- Fresh mint leaves (optional)
- In a saucepan combine ¾ cup of water with the sugar, lemon juice, and lemon peel (and rum or vanilla extract if desired). Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and add the fruit. Cook at a very low heat for 5 minutes.
- Pour the syrup into a cup and set aside. Remove the lemon peel and cool the cooked fruit for 2 hours.
- To serve the compote, arrange the fruit in a serving dish and pour a few teaspoons of syrup over the fruit. Garnish with mint leaves (if desired).
Per serving: Calories: 148Fat: 0 gSodium: 3 mg
Cranberry-Almond Breakfast Quinoa
Ingredients- ½ cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup lowfat (1%) milk
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
- ¼ cup almonds, chopped
- Add the quinoa, water, and milk to a small saucepan over high heat.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low.
- Add the cinnamon and vanilla.
- Cover the pot with a lid and simmer until the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa is tender, about 10-15 minutes.
- Stir in the cranberries and almonds and serve warm, or chill before serving if desired.
Per serving: Calories: 260Protein: 10.5 gCarbs: 34.5 gFibre: 5.5 gFat: 8.5 gSodium: 35 mg
Country Lentil Soup
Ingredients- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
- 4 celery stalks, chopped (about 1 cup)
- 2 medium carrots, chopped (about 1 cup)
- 2-4 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons)
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 4 cups (32 ounces) low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup uncooked brown lentils, picked through to remove any stones and rinsed
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can no-salt-added crushed tomatoes
- 4 tablespoons (¼ cup) chopped fresh parsley, divided
- Warm a large saucepan or pot over medium-high heat.
- Add the oil and heat until shimmering.
- Add the onion, celery, carrots, and garlic. Cook until softened, about 5-8 minutes.
- Add the oregano, thyme, and black pepper. Sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add the broth, water, lentils, and tomatoes with their juice.
- Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer.
- Cover the pot with a lid and cook until the lentils are tender, about 20-30 minutes.
- Divide the soup between four serving bowls and top each with 1 tablespoon of the parsley.
- Serve warm.
Per serving: Calories: 120Protein: 4 gCarbs: 17 gFibre: 4 gFat: 3.5 gSodium: 185 mg
Turkey Bolognese With Shell Pasta
Ingredients- 1½ C dry red wine (optional)
- ½ oz dried porcini mushrooms (optional)
- 1 C onion, chopped
- ½ C celery, rinsed and chopped
- 1 C carrots, rinsed and thinly sliced or shredded
- 1 Tbsp garlic, pressed or finely chopped (about 2–3 cloves)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 12 oz 99 percent lean ground turkey
- 1 tsp anise seed
- ¼ tsp salt
- 8 oz medium shell pasta
- 4 Tbsp no-salt-added tomato paste
- ½ C shredded parmesan cheese
- Optional step: Bring the wine to a boil in a medium saucepan. Break up the mushrooms, then stir them into the wine. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Finely chop the onion, celery, carrots, and garlic. Or you can coarsely chop them, place them in a food processor, and pulse until all vegetables are finely chopped.
- In a 4-quart saucepan, bring 3 quarts of water to a boil over high heat.
- While the water is heating up, warm the olive oil in a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Crumble in the ground turkey. Sprinkle with anise seed and salt. Cook for 5–10 minutes to brown, stirring occasionally.
- Meanwhile, when the water comes to a boil, add pasta to boiling water. Cook according to package directions for the shortest recommended time, about 10–12 minutes.
- Add vegetables to cooking turkey. Reduce heat to medium. Cook and stir 10 minutes until all vegetables are soft, but not browned. And tomato paste, and simmer for an additional 5–10 minutes. (Continue to optional step 7 if including the optional ingredients; otherwise, skip to step 8.)
- Optional step: While the pasta and turkey mixture cooks, strain mushrooms, draining unabsorbed wine directly into the turkey mixture. Place mushrooms on a cutting board and chop finely, or place in food processor and pulse once or twice to more finely chop mushrooms. Stir mushrooms into turkey mixture. Simmer for 10–15 minutes to blend flavors.
- Drain pasta. Add pasta to turkey mixture (the minimum internal temperature of cooked turkey should be 165 °F). Stir to blend well.
- Divide pasta mixture evenly (about 2 cups each) among four dinner plates. Top each with 2 tablespoons of shredded parmesan cheese.
Per serving: Calories: 463Protein: 35 gCarbs: 47 gFibre: 5 gFat: 9 gSodium: 465 mg
Greek Yogurt with Warm Berry Sauce
Ingredients- 2 cups frozen berries (unsweetened)
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 2 cups plain Greek yogurt (2% fat)
- Combine the frozen berries and lime juice in a small saucepan.
- Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Reduce heat to medium-low to maintain a gentle simmer.
- Cook until a sauce forms and thickens, about 10-12 minutes.
- Divide the yogurt into four serving bowls.
- Top each serving of yogurt with a quarter of the sauce (about ⅓ cup).
- Serve immediately, or chill before serving.
Per serving: Calories: 130Protein: 12.5 gCarbs: 13 gFibre: 3 gFat: 3 gSodium: 40 mg
Bean and Barley Soup
Ingredients- 1 teaspoon oil
- ½ cup diced carrots
- ½ cup diced celery
- 1 cup diced onion
- 1 clove garlic, minced (½ teaspoon)
- 4 cups (32 ounces) no-salt-added chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 (15.5-ounce) can no-salt-added great northern beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes
- ½ cup barley, uncooked
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
- Heat a large saucepan (pot) over medium heat.
- Add the oil and heat until shimmering.
- Add the onion, celery, carrots, and garlic.
- Sauté until the vegetables are soft, about 4-5 minutes.
- Stir in the broth, beans, diced tomatoes and their liquid, barley, oregano, thyme, and crushed red pepper flakes.
- Bring to a simmer and cover, stirring occasionally. Allow barley to cook and flavors to blend for about 20 minutes.
- Stir in the spinach.
- Continue to simmer until fully cooked, about 5 minutes.
- Serve warm.
Per serving: Calories: 230Protein: 13 gCarbs: 42 gFibre: 12.5 gFat: 2.5 gSodium: 220 mg
Braised Cod With Leeks
Ingredients- 1 Tbsp butter
- 2 C leeks, split lengthwise, sliced thin, and rinsed well
- 3 medium carrots, rinsed, peeled, and cut into thin sticks
- 4 new (red) potatoes, rinsed and sliced into ½-inch thick circles
- 2 C low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 Tbsp fresh parsley, rinsed, dried, and chopped (or 2 tsp dried)
- 12 oz cod fillets, cut into 4 portions (3 oz each)
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- Heat butter in a large sauté pan. Add leeks and carrots, and cook gently for 3–5 minutes, stirring often, until the vegetables begin to soften.
- Add potatoes, chicken broth, parsley, and salt and pepper, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer gently until the vegetables are just tender, about 10–12 minutes.
- Add cod fillets, and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Continue cooking over low heat for an additional 5 minutes or until the fish is white and flakes easily with a fork in the thickest part (to a minimum internal temperature of 145 °F).
- Serve each cod fillet with 1½ cups broth and vegetables.
Per serving: Calories: 158Protein: 17 gCarbs: 13 gFibre: 3 gFat: 4 gSodium: 437 mg
Cold Fusilli Pasta with Summer Vegetables
Ingredients- 8 oz whole-wheat fusilli (spiral) pasta
- 2 C cherry tomatoes, rinsed and halved
- 1 large green bell pepper, rinsed and sliced in pieces ¼ inch wide by 2 inches long
- ½ C red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 medium zucchini, rinsed and shredded finely or sliced into small chunks (about 1 C)
- 1 can (15½ oz) low-sodium chickpeas (or garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
- 1 Tbsp fresh basil, rinsed, dried, and cut into thin strips (or 1 tsp dried)
- ¼ tsp salt
- ⅛ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- ½ C shredded parmesan cheese
- In a 4-quart saucepan, bring 3 quarts of water to a boil over high heat.
- Add pasta, and cook according to package directions for the shortest recommended time, about 8–9 minutes. Drain. Rinse pasta under cold running water to cool, about 3 minutes.
- Place all the vegetables and beans in a large salad serving bowl. Season with basil, salt, and pepper.
- Add the cooled pasta.
- Combine olive oil and vinegar in a small bowl. Mix until completely blended. Pour over vegetables and pasta. Mix gently until well coated.
- Divide into four equal portions. Top each with 2 tablespoons shredded parmesan cheese.
Per serving: Calories: 418Protein: 21 gCarbs: 63 gFibre: 13 gFat: 11 gSodium: 455 mg
Chicken Chile Stew
Ingredients- Nonstick cooking spray
- 3 lb boneless, skinless chicken (breast or leg), cubed
- 3 stalks celery, chopped
- 1 medium tomato, diced
- 7 green chilies, roasted, peeled, seeded, and chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
- Ground black pepper to taste
- Spray a heavy iron skillet with cooking spray, and preheat over medium heat. Brown the chicken cubes, in batches, with cooking spray as needed.
- Place the meat in a 3- or 4-quart casserole (with cover), and add the remaining ingredients.
- Deglaze the skillet: On high heat, add some cold water and scrape the hardened juices with a spoon or spatula to dissolve them into the water. Add the sauce to the casserole.
- Add water to barely cover the ingredients. Cover the casserole, and simmer until the stew is thick and the meat is very tender, about 1½ hours.
- Add black pepper to taste before serving.
Per serving: Calories: 189Protein: 30 gCarbs: 5 gFibre: 1 gFat: 5 gSodium: 90 mg
More recipes and guides
- Healthy Eating Recipes (NHLBI, NIH)
- Low-Fat Diet Not a Cure-All (Harvard Nutrition Source)
- Dietary fats explained (MedlinePlus)
How this diet is defined here: Low-fat dietary pattern from the Women's Health Initiative Dietary Modification Trial (Howard et al. 2006, JAMA, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16467234/): fat cut toward 20% of calories, with at least 5 servings of vegetables and fruit and 6 of grains a day. Every recipe used here has 30% or less of calories from fat.
New findings, once a month
One short email when we add new studies or exercises, each with its source. No spam, and you can unsubscribe any time.