When you need to lose weight or modify your diet for health reasons, make every bite count. Stick to foods that will nourish your body and resist the urge to cut back too drastically. Don't be tempted to completely cut out any of the essential nutrients. Depriving yourself of your favorite foods just to be thin is unrealistic and frustrating. Stock your pantry and refrigerator with plenty of healthy foods so you have them close at hand.
Fiber
The Mayo Clinic recommends eating high fiber foods, including fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes and whole grains. Men should have at least 30 grams and women should eat at least 21 grams of fiber per day with enough fluids to help food move quickly through your digestive tract. Some of the fruits that are high in fiber include raspberries, pears and apples with peeling, bananas, oranges, figs and raisins. Eat high fiber vegetables such as peas, broccoli, turnip greens, artichoke, Brussels sprouts, potatoes with skin and carrots. Split peas, lentils, black beans, lima beans, sunflower seeds, almonds, pistachios and pecans are all loaded with fiber. You can also get fiber from whole wheat pasta, oats, oatmeal, air-popped popcorn, brown rice, whole-grain bread and bran cereal.
Antioxidants
The Helpguide website recommends eating a variety of deeply colored vegetables each day because they have the highest concentration of nutrients. The green vegetables such as broccoli, kale and mustard greens contain vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, magnesium, calcium, iron, potassium and zinc. In addition to having a high amount of antioxidants, the sweet vegetables will help ward off cravings for sugar, and they are packed with nutrients, so include sweet potatoes, yams, winter squash, corn, onions and carrots. The healthy fruits with antioxidants include berries, oranges and mangos.
Protein
The American Heart Association advises eating approximately six ounces of cooked lean meat, poultry or fish per day. Cook them without saturated fats. Choose lean beef, pork loin, leg of lamb and chicken without the skin. Fat on fish is fine because it is low in saturated fat, and oily fish has omega-3s that are good for your heart. When you cook any type of meat, grill, bake or broil it to keep it healthy. Tofu and other soy-based products can be cooked in a variety of healthy ways. Other sources of healthy protein include eggs and legumes.
Dairy
Switch from high fat dairy products to fat free or low fat. Consume fat-free milk, low-fat or fat-free yogurt and cottage cheese, and low fat or part-skim cheese. If you are used to the rich taste of full-fat dairy products, you may want to transition to low-fat products before making a change to fat free. The difference in taste won't seem so drastic, and you'll have the benefit of cutting fat and calories.
Fats
You need fats to keep your heart, brain, skin, hair and nails healthy, so select healthy sources that are high in omega 3s. Include olive oil, canola oil, peanut oil and oil from seeds and nuts. You'll find that eating a small amount of healthy fat can prevent your moods from dipping while you diet.
Member Comments