low fat

Meanings

1. 1adjectivebefore a noun

   Containing only a small amount of fat.

   Grammar: Usually written with a hyphen before a noun (low-fat yogurt), but often two words after a linking verb: the yogurt is low fat.

   Patterns

   • low-fat food
   • low-fat diet
   • be low fat

   She switched to low-fat milk to cut down on calories.

   This low-fat cheese still melts well on pizza.

   Doctors often suggest a low-fat diet for people with high cholesterol.

2. 2noununcountableinformal

   Food or drink that has had most of its fat removed.

   Grammar: Used as a general label on packaging and menus, with no plural and usually no article.

   Patterns

   • eat low fat
   • choose low fat

   The cafe offers low fat as an option for every sandwich.

   Since his heart scare he has eaten low fat almost every day.

Common combinations

low-fat diet

Her doctor put her on a low-fat diet after the test results came back.

low-fat yogurt

I buy low-fat yogurt and add fresh fruit myself.

low-fat milk

The recipe calls for low-fat milk rather than cream.

low-fat option

Airport cafes now usually have at least one low-fat option.

low in fat

Grilled fish is naturally low in fat.

Synonyms and how they differ

lean

Use lean for meat with little fat in it; low-fat is the general label for products that have fat removed.

reduced-fat

Reduced-fat means less fat than the standard version, not necessarily a small amount, so it can still be higher in fat than a low-fat product.

light

Light on packaging can mean fewer calories, less sugar or less fat, so it is vaguer than low-fat.

Opposites

Word family

fat noun

The substance in food that low-fat products contain less of.

fatty adjective

Containing a lot of fat, the opposite idea.

fat-free adjective

Containing no fat at all, a stronger claim than low fat.

Commonly confused: low fat or fat free?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “low fat”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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