Celery is a versatile vegetable that is rich in fiber, vitamin C and other nutrients. When used as part of a balanced diet, celery can help you curb hunger and lose weight. Despite a widely held belief, celery is not a negative calorie food. It does however, contain very little caloric impact, with only 19 calories a cup. Celery also contains quite a bit of water, which helps with both digestion and metabolism. You can incorporate celery into your daily diet--in snacks, meals and even drinks.
Step 1
Replace high-fat dipping foods such as chips with fresh vegetables, including celery. Always have low-fat or non-fat dip on hand for snacking. For additional fiber, finely chop celery and mix it in ranch or garlic dip. Keep fresh celery cut into bite-sized pieces in the fridge for those unexpected snacking urges. Don't wash the celery until you are going to eat it, however, as this can cause it to wilt faster.
Step 2
Mix chopped celery into chicken, tuna or egg salads for additional fiber and crunch. Keep chopped celery handy in the fridge and add it to soups, salads and pasta dishes. Celery has a neutral taste that complements most foods, and you can add it raw or cooked. Avoid celery salt, however,as it is, literally, salt. The addition of fresh or cooked celery should provide enough saltiness without having to add more.
Step 3
If you have a juicer or blender that purees food, put some celery into the mix, with other vegetables or juices. Celery juices well with carrots and apples and also provides flavor for leafy green and spirulina juices. If you don't have celery handy, have some dried celery flakes and add a dash to the juice for flavor and fiber.
Step 4
For a healthy, low-fat snack, put a half teaspoon of reduced-fat peanut butter on a celery stalk. This is particularly good if you use celery hearts, rather than the greener outer stalks. Bring this snack with you to work for when you have the urge to go to the vending machine. At home, have peanut butter and celery instead of high-fat chips while watching a movie.
Step 5
Add washed celery stalks, including the tops, to soups, stews and stir fries. By doing this, you'll find that you don't need to add salt, since the celery has a natural saltiness to impart even more flavor.
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