Unhealthy eating habits, such as frequent consumption of soft drinks, cookies, doughnuts and snack crackers, can contribute to weight gain. Junk foods are typically loaded with trans fats, simple carbohydrates and sugars that your body stores as fat. Likewise, your body converts sugars from soft drinks into glucose, which is stored as fat. Simple strategies can help you cut down on your consumption of these foods and beverages.
Smoothies
Smoothies are simple, nutritious replacements for soft drinks. They are typically made from fresh fruits, such as oranges, apples, papayas, mangoes and bananas. Fresh vegetables such as celery, carrots and spinach leaves are also nutrient-dense, low-calorie choices for smoothies. Simply place your favorite fruits and vegetables in a blender with about a half cup of skim milk or soy milk per cup of fruits or vegetables and blend until smooth. Add 1 tbsp. of ground flaxseed per cup of vegetables or fruits to add extra dietary fiber and protein.
Dried Fruits
Package dried fruits and take them with you for work breaks, trips to the gym, commutes or road trips. They take up less space than whole fruits in your purse, backpack or briefcase, and do not require refrigeration. Dried fruits are abundant sources of dietary fiber, which helps you feel full between meals, curbing the temptation to reach for junk food. Packaged dried fruits are commonly available in supermarkets and health food stores; however, you can make your own by cutting apple, banana, kiwi, mango, pineapple or papaya slices and drying them in a dehydrator for 12 to 24 hours.
Keep in mind that dried fruit is calorie-dense with natural sugar already in the fruits, as well as refined sugars that most manufacturers add to dried fruit. Read the ingredients label to check for added sugar.
Filtered Water
Keep a container of filtered water handy at work, school, home or in the car. Filtered water contains no calories, fats or sugars, making it an effective replacement for soft drinks if you want to lose weight. Water also helps keep your stomach feeling full, which might reduce cravings for junk foods between meals.
Trail Mix
Trail mix stands up well to heat and cold, and is an easily portable snack you can use to replace junk foods. Simply place peanuts, walnut pieces, dried fruits, raisins and chocolate chips in a sealable freezer bag and shake to blend. Trail mix is a rich source of dietary fiber to help reduce hunger. It also provides protein to help you maintain energy levels between meals. Opt for unsalted nuts to avoid excess consumption of sodium, which can increase blood pressure and contribute to heart disease. However, excessive reliance on trail mix may add excess calories to your diet.
Keep in mind that nuts are calorie-dense, as they're high in fats---they're healthy fats, but fats nonetheless, so eat them sparingly if you're trying to lose weight.
References
- "Prescription for Nutritional Healing"; Phyllis A. Balch; 2010
- "More Smoothies for Life"; Daniella Chace; 2007
- "Snack Attack!"; Ruth Glick; 2006
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