Lean Mean Protein

Today's Small Change: Lighten up.

Lean Mean Protein

Did you know that making one small change in your diet can help you lose more than 6 pounds a year? Just by choosing a lean piece of meat over a high-fat one each day — skinless chicken breast over the same amount of prime rib, or 95 percent lean ground beef over 85 percent lean — you can do just that.

The small savings in calories you'll make by replacing high-fat sources of protein in your diet with lower-fat ones daily can really add up over the course of a year — and make the numbers on the scale go down. And if you think that leaner cuts of meat are less interesting or flavorful, think again! For instance, many "wild" meats, such as venison, buffalo, and elk, are incredibly lean and flavorful.

Choosing low-fat or fat-free dairy products instead of full-fat ones can also cut a significant number of calories as well as heart-damaging saturated fat out of your diet over the long term. Low-fat cottage cheese, yogurt, and milk, for example, are great sources of protein that keep the saturated fat at bay.

And when you're looking for lean sources of protein, don't forget about eggs. They're low in calories and fat and rich in B vitamins, vitamins E and A, and choline. As for their high cholesterol content, it turns out that eggs may have been unfairly maligned. Doctors now know that dietary cholesterol doesn't influence your blood cholesterol nearly as much as saturated and trans fats do. Since an egg has just 5 grams of fat (1.5 grams of saturated fat), one whole egg a day can fit neatly into a healthy low-fat diet.

Start lightening up your diet today by replacing one high-fat protein source with a lower-fat one. Make the change permanent, and you may soon start feeling lighter yourself.

credits: Healthy Living With Ellie Krieger