Fruits and vegetables are not only important sources of vitamins and minerals, but they reduce your risk for chronic disease. They are also an integral part of any good weight-loss plan. There are many reasons why fruits and vegetables are beneficial and a variety of ways to add them to your current diet.
Calories
To lose weight, you must burn more calories than you consume. Eating low-calorie foods may help you achieve this goal, and fruits and vegetables are generally low in calories. Significant weight loss can occur when a low-calorie diet is coupled with the consumption of more fruits and vegetables, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC.
Fullness
Fruits and vegetables have high fiber and water content. Fiber and water increase the volume of the food without adding calories. Foods with few calories compared to their volume are referred to as low-energy-density foods. Low-energy-density foods help people feel full so they consume fewer calories, according to the CDC.
Substitution
Adding fruits and vegetables to your current diet could result in weight gain if you don't cut back on other foods. Fruits and vegetables make good substitutes for foods that are higher in calories and fat also because they reduce your risk for cancer and cardiovascular disease, according to the CDC. Try snacking on vegetables and low-calorie dip, applesauce or dried fruit instead of chips or pretzels. Swap vegetable soup for beef stew. Or eat a salad or veggie wrap instead of a sandwich for lunch. For dinner, heat frozen vegetables as a side dish instead of macaroni and cheese.
Preparation
The way fruits and vegetables are prepared can affect whether you lose weight. Breading or frying adds substantial calories. Half a cup of cooked mushrooms has 22 calories. A half-cup of batter-dipped, fried mushrooms has 149 calories. Adding high-fat dressing or sauces is also detrimental. Four tablespoons of ranch dressing has 300 calories. Skip desserts and other sweets that are high in fat as well, even if they contain fruit. An apple fritter, for example, can have 400 calories.
Recommendations
If you eat 2,000 calories a day, you should have nine servings, or four 1/2 cups, of fruits and vegetables per day, according to the United States Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Agriculture Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Depending on the number of calories consumed per day, you should have between five and 13 servings of fruits and vegetables.
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