Low-Fat Lifestyle

When candy is this small, I totally find it okay to indulge. Is it healthy? Absolutely not. Will it kill my gallbladder? Nope. Its only redeeming quality is its size. If you have a serious chocolate craving, pop one or two of these. It’s enough to satisfy a sweet tooth without totally killing the low-fat diet.

I wouldn’t normally classify a snack as “cute,” but this is definitely an exception:

I wouldn’t normally call a snack “cute,” but this is an exception. And clementines are definitely a great low-fat snack!

Raviolis are pretty fatty. I mean, a ravioli is pasta filled with cheese. How can you possibly make that any healthier?

I found a way. If you opt for vegetable raviolis, you’re guaranteeing that you’ll be eating less cheese and more veggies. And that translates into a lower-fat option! And they’re even healthier if you can find a whole wheat version.

These raviolis are by no means fat free since they still contain cheese, but replacing the cheese with something lower in fat makes them substantially healthier (and substantially easier on your gallbladder)!

I found my whole wheat vegetable raviolis from Calandra’s in NJ, but I would bet that a lot of speciality Italian stores sell something similar. 

Image via groovyvegetarian.com.

Your gallbladder will love you more for eating healthier raviolis!

Cheesy, yes, but it gets the point across: You can still eat the foods you love by making simple modifications that lower the fat content without sacrificing the flavor.

There are some foods that really make my diet a lot more manageable.  For once, however, there’s also a small appliance that also makes my life easier.

The George Foreman Grill.  This thing is intended to eliminate fat in cooking. It is such a huge help for me in following my diet.  I didn’t think I was able to eat steak again, but putting it on the grill makes it as lean as possible. 

Image via tvtopten.com.

Also, it’s super easy to clean and cooks things really fast, which is handy as a college student. Chicken in 5 minutes? That works for me. 

They can get a little pricy. I think I paid close to $60 for mine, but it was completely worth it.

If you have any issues with eating fat or just want to eat healthier, a George Foreman Grill is seriously a worthwhile investment. Grilling is one of the healthiest ways to cook, and this tool makes eating low fat so much easier.

…Isn’t exactly the easiest thing to do. 

But yesterday, to celebrate a friend’s birthday and the end of the year for the amazing Thursday team at Fordham Nightly News, I was at Applebee’s.

This is NOT the easiest menu to navigate, but the restaurant makes it a little easier with their “Under 550 Calorie” and Weight Watchers options. My problem is that 1) low calorie does not equal low fat and 2) these dishes are so salty.

Fortunately, their Teriyaki Chicken Pasta was actually pretty good. It was from their “Under 550 Menu” and only had 8 grams of fat. It was just super salty. But, hey, I guess the flavor has to come from somewhere.

Image via www2.marketwire.com.

Of course, it didn’t look as good as the picture makes it out to be, but you get the idea.

One really disappointing thing about Applebee’s: NONE of their appetizers are low fat enough for me to eat. Zero. But, in all fairness, Applebee’s never really claimed to be healthy..

Bottom line: Stick with the entrees only (no appetizers, no dessert) and the diet menu when, and if, you go.

I’m not going to deny the awesomeness of potato chips. They certainly have their place in everyone’s diet at some point or other. 

But potato chips pack in the fat, and they’re not exactly one of those foods that you can have a few of and then stop eating. So, my rule is that I should probably not even start eating them. 

Every once in a while, though, I need to succumb to a salt craving.. Which is why I decided to make my own sweet potato chips! Sweet potatoes are fat free and full of fiber, potassium, and vitamin C. And they taste awesome, which is most important.

This weekend, I sliced some up (which is very difficult to do because they’re so hard, so I recommend some sort of slicing contraption), drizzled on some olive oil, added a healthy dose of salt, and baked. 

Although they didn’t come as crispy as I would have liked and some just burnt to a crisp, the majority of them came out well and tasted great. 

You can’t go wrong with these because 1) the fiber makes them super filling and 2) you know what’s in them since they’re homemade. 

Definitely worth making another batch!

There is one type of cake in this world that is naturally fat free: angel food cake. 

Angel food cake is amazing because it’s supposed to be made with egg whites. For dessert on Easter, I found this recipe for Rainbow Angel Food Cake on Tablespoon.com and made it using a Betty Crocker boxed angel food cake mix.

At first, I was a little skeptical about the idea of rainbow angel food cake. I assumed it would turn out muddy-looking and that all the layers of color would mix together in the cake pan. But it actually turned out just fine!  The difference between this recipe and a regular angel food cake recipe was in dividing the batter into separate bowls and adding food coloring.  Then, each color batter was spooned into the cake pan in layers. And, thankfully, the layers didn’t settle into one another. 

The only weird thing about this recipe is that, after you take the cake out of the oven, you have to stand the pan upside down on the neck of a glass bottle for an hour and a half. …Interesting way to make a cake, but it worked!!

And not only did the recipe work, but the cake tasted INCREDIBLE. 

Holidays are always a bit tricky when it comes to eating low fat. I mean, how do you make a chocolate Easter bunny low fat? Truth is, you really can’t. There are just some things that have to go. 

But, thankfully, there are a lot of good low-fat options for Easter candy. They’re still not exactly healthy, but they’re at least low fat. 

Marshmallow Peeps

Somebody at this company was a genius to think of dipping them in chocolate. The fat content is still super low, so no worries.

Image via consumerqueen.com.

Jelly Beans

What’s Easter without jelly beans? Pure sugar, no fat. I can handle that for a day. 

Image via kristenbyers.tumblr.com.

Lindt Miniature Chocolates

Full disclosure: These are NOT low fat. What makes them okay is the portion size. They’re miniature, so 1 or 2 really isn’t a big deal. And they’re not the Lindt truffles, which are so fatty that even one is one too many.

Image via lindtusa.com.

Swedish Fish

I think they were trying to make their version of a jelly bean…Not quite sure, but I’ll go with it. Can’t argue with Swedish Fish!

Image via candyaddict.com.

When it comes to Easter candy, the bottom line is this: Sugary candy is safe. (Terrible for your health, but won’t bug your gallbladder.) Portion control is key when it comes to fattier things like chocolate.

Happy Easter!

In honor of Earth Day, I decided to dedicate a post to helping the environment and your gallbladder. 

How do you do this? Cut out meat for the day. 

According to the book “GreenGreenerGreenest” by Lori Bongiorno, minimizing exposure to fat through the meat you eat is one way you can be “greener.”

Fat in animal meat contains toxic chemicals like dioxins. Without getting super scientific, she writes that dioxins are “unintentional by-products of industrial activities and considered a human carcinogen by the World Health Organization.” Dioxins settle in grasslands, where cows graze and eat…and then you eat the cow. Yuck. 

Buying lean cuts of meat, trimming off extra fat, and using low-fat cooking methods like grilling can cut dioxin levels UP TO HALF.  

So, in honor of Earth Day (and Good Friday, if you’re Christian), eliminate meat for one day. 

Image via denbeath1.blogspot.com.

One dietician I spoke to about my gallbladder disease even suggested I go vegetarian. I don’t know if I can live without my meat, but I can definitely cut it from my diet for a day. 

So go meatless today. It’ll help the planet and your gallbladder.