Eat For You Dietitian

In my recent weight management group sessions I’ve been asked what simple swaps can they do in common meals do reduce saturated fat.

By this point they’d already made a change to there chilli con carne recipe by using reducing beef mince and swapping for red lentils. Good news was that the whole family enjoyed it and alongside reducing saturated fat content, this ingredient swap also increased dietary fibre intake.

I stopped eating meat (all four-legged creatures) and eggs since the 1st January 2016. Although I still eat dairy cheese and fish occasionally, my main protein comes from plant-based sources. What does that mean?

Beans, pulses and legumes (my personal favourites are black-eyed beans, kidney beans, chickpeas and red lentils) (15g protein per cup ~240mls)

Soya mince

Tofu (19g protein per 100g)

Quorn products (vegan ‘chicken style’ pieces, meatballs), Linda McCartney veggie sausages

Wide variety of Nuts (~7g protein per handful)

Alpro soya yoghurts

Whole grain bread and cereals

Various fruits and vegetables have differing protein content

The Eatwell Guide (PHE, 2016) is a great reference of a healthy, balanced diet demonstrating various plant-based food sources aiming towards reducing total fat and saturated fat daily intake. Which as a nation we eat in excess of and the Eatwell Guide is a great resource to use to reshape your diet and lifestyle