Fat-free lunches

Thanks very much to everyone who answered. I do appreciate your taking the time. Yes, I do eat very small amounts of fat - as someone said, it is impossible to avoid it completely. I make my own bread with a minimum of oil. I eat roast chicken breast but don't baste it with anything while cooking, also white fish. Farmed salmon is too oily but I can cope with wild salmon which is less so. I do eat the whites of eggs, too. Sadly nuts, peanut butter, avocado, etc. are all a big no-no. One thing I have "invented" recently is noodles with various additions like mushrooms simmered in a little water, peas, spring onions, chopped tomato flesh, fragments of lean ham, and so on. A very few drops of soy sauce add flavour. Thanks for all the ideas!

I have been surprised by some of the suggestions made. Nuts are exceptionally high in fat, although still considered a healthy option in moderation for most people because of the type of fat and other benefits. Avocados and cheese are not a good option either. A completely fat free diet is impossible to achieve as there are very small amount found in lots of foods including fruit and veg, especially pulses. Several vitamins need fat in order to be absorbed (I was taught ADEK) and there are many other negative effects. A very low fat diet is difficult - you have my sympathy Sewnsew. There has been good advice but I am sure that you will have thought of lots of ideas yourself and you will know what suits you. As someone else mentioned, a chat with a nutritionist might be useful.

I'm sorry to sound so preachy but I wouldn't like you to become unwell taking up some of the above ideas. I'm not an expert but did a couple of courses on nutrition many years ago and have remained interested. Good luck.

Sorry Gundy

That menu looks great Grundy

SewnSew - this is a real challenge for you, I’m sure and repetitively eating the same old stuff gets boring.

A little more clarification would be helpful: • are you lactose intolerant?
• if you eat roast chicken, can you eat eggs?
• can you do nut butters?
If I (or we) had those answers it would help us come up with different ideas.

There are many good ideas passed along for starters. Here’s what I can suggest so far:
• Quesadillas (2 flour tortillas) spread with refried beans, grilled lightly to crisp and heat thru; cut into quarters and dip in a mild Mexican Salsa.
• Sweet or regular baked potato filled with your favorite steamed veggies (broccoli, asparagus, corn - or creamed corn in a can, etc; salsa
• Niçoise salad- pkgd greens, tuna chunks, green beans, red beets, boiled red potatoes, black or green olives topped with FAT FREE dressing.
• toasted rye bread, with mashed avocado and sardines - yes! delish.
• Toast with generous peanut butter and sliced bananas (breakfast or lunch)
• Red Beans and rice - there’s a stovetop pkgd brand called Zatarain’s (if you have over there) inexpensive, tomato spicy, so easy and good, otherwise look for recipe to make.

If I think of anything else, I’ll let you know. Good luck!
USA Gundy

What about Omega 3 in salmon ?

This has alot of benefits.

Perhaps speaking to a Professional Nutritionist and Allergist would be a wise idea.

Grammaretto

What have you been eating up till now? SewnSew or is this a recent diagnosis?
Hard to cut out all fats and you need some surely to protect you from cold and to absorb vitamins and for energy.
The best fats are unsaturated from seeds and nuts and avoid dairy.
The fats from oily fish are better for you than fat from meat and dairy.

Choose raw food where possible.
Some excellent ideas above from madgran sago and others

The trouble with any diet/regime are the inevitable cravings
Good luck to you.

Good question.

As has been pointed out there are more fats than those listed in the OP. Are nuts and avocados (for example) acceptable? Or the fat in tuna?

Even bread has a teaspoon of olive oil along with the flour, water, salt, yeast (and sugar to activate). Must you avoid that oil as well?

Fat - I suspect we need better definitions.

My Spanish (Madrileño) husband and I, live in the Madrid Capital 32 years and our main meal of the day is LUNCH time 13.30 - 14.30.

We have a salad starter and usually a classic fish or chicken dish or stuffed bell peppers filled with seasoned beef mince or a pasta traditional dish or a French Provençal dish and we enjoy our white northern bean veggie stew or vegetarian lentils.

Dessert could be cheese and seasonal fruit for me and a sweet tooth pleasure for the gentleman.

Dinner is usually very very light. A glass or 2 of wine and tapas or a piece of Spanish Omelette or grilled shellfish and during the winter, we like a caldo de Jérez (a consomme) and or a weekly Pizza at our local Italian restaurant or quick egg dish.

We avoid eating heavy at night and

What have you been eating up till now? SewnSew or is this a recent diagnosis?
Hard to cut out all fats and you need some surely to protect you from cold and to absorb vitamins and for energy.
The best fats are unsaturated from seeds and nuts and avoid dairy.
The fats from oily fish are better for you than fat from meat and dairy.

Choose raw food where possible.
Some excellent ideas above from madgran sago and others

The trouble with any diet/regime are the inevitable cravings
Good luck to you.

Secondhandrose, I love peanut butter and banana sandwiches. Absolutely delicious on granary bread. 😋

Whole tin tomatoes on toast sprinkled with oregano.
Packet noodles. Add pak choi, mushrooms, onions, ginger etc. Or eat on it's own.

Norah

Cambia, whole grain rice/quinoa pouch

What is this pouch? I've never seen quinoa and rice together.

Yes, you can get pouches which have both in them together. Never actually tried it, but I've seen them in various supermarkets, including our local Aldi.

Cambia, whole grain rice/quinoa pouch

What is this pouch? I've never seen quinoa and rice together.

Big salad with whole grain rice/quinoa pouch cooked and thrown in. Aldi do these very cheaply and they are brilliant. Two minutes in the microwave and then add lots of salad things like beetroot, cucumber, olives, tomatoes, sun dried tomatoes, spinach, etc etc. add a fat free dressing.

Jacket potato with smoked mackerel and spring onions mixed in

Can you eat nuts? Peanut butter and banana sandwich.

You have my sympathy SewSew, I’ve been there. It can get very boring. The trick is to use a variety of herbs and spices to add flavour and variety. If you can tolerate it, very low fat mayonnaise mixed with 0% yogurt makes a decent base for a dressing and egg white omelettes can be quite tasty.

Egg salad - egg white (no fat yolks), pickles, tomatoes, chopped cabbage, on rice cakes?

Egg whites are healthy, almost zero fat - fat is in yolks. Good protein.

A large grilled chicken breast (without skin) has 4g of fat. A whole avocado has 27g of fat. A 50g portion of cheese has 17g of fat, so I'm assuming OP can't eat avocados, if she's avoiding all fats.

SewnSew, You can eat chicken - which has accompanying fat, correct? How about chicken on rice cakes with various chopped veg?

You list "butter, marge, oils, cream, cheese" - are avocado allowed?

Nuts, fish and avocado all contain fat.

Maybe rice or couscous and salad veg salad.

Maybe make avocado on rice cakes, with rocket, tomatoes, S&P?

How about fat-free cottage cheese or Quark on rice cakes, with fruit or salad?
(Though it's actually 0.2% fat according to the nutritional information, don't know if you could tolerate that).

Any salad dressed with fat free dressing made of 0% greek yoghurt,lemon juice, garlic powder and herbs. Our a "hot salad" made with microwaveable rice mixed with any combination of cooked chop vegs, a bit of tonal or salmon or marinated tofu and and warmed 0%yoghurt as previously

I make a big bean/legumes salad it comprises of any combination of the following; cannellini/kidney/borlotti beans, diced carrot, raisins, spring/red onions, sweetcorn, cucumber, tomatoes, celery, tuna, mange tout, peppers etc.
I make enough for 3 days, you can make a fat free dressing, its delicious and filling.

Jacket potato with tuna, chilli, curry, tinned fish.
Look at beans and grains to make salads with ‘no oil’ dressings, can you eat nuts? there are nut butters.
It must be tough, good luck.