In an effort to quickly lose weight, dieters often turn to packaged meals offered through weight-loss centers or at grocery stores. Such meals are lower in calories, while some are more diet-specific. Diet foods have the potential of helping you lose weight, as you will take in fewer calories. A diet based on these foods has the potential to fail in the long-run, because users don't get enough nutrition. Ask a doctor or dietitian before starting any diet program.
Types
Diet foods are available from a number of resources. Some companies deliver portioned foods directly to your home. Be aware that you are required to add some fresh fruits and vegetables to these meals. A more popular option is diet foods from the grocery store. These range from soups, frozen meals, granola bars, weight-loss shakes and cereals. Packaged diet foods offer less calories than their regular packaged counterparts.
Purported Benefits
The primary reason dieters seek out diet foods is to save time. It is difficult to make over your lifestyle and cook healthy, homemade meals with a busy schedule, particularly if you aren't accustomed to cooking. Having food delivered to you, or purchasing packaged diet foods from the store is far more convenient. Diet foods also contain less calories. This is crucial if you are on a restricted-calorie diet. A University of Illinois study found that participants who ate two daily frozen diet meals to reduce calorie intake were successful and felt satiated. Participants also ate healthy snacks in accordance with the Food Pyramid.
Considerations
As diet foods lack in calories, they also lack in nutritional value. ABCNews.com recommends that you add healthy side dishes to frozen diet meals. For instance, you can add a small salad to a frozen pasta meal. This will provide extra needed nutrients while keeping you full. The average frozen meal contains between 200 and 300 calories, and often exceeds 400 mg of sodium. Err on the side of caution, particularly if you have hypertension. Consuming too much sodium can make you retain water weight and lead to high blood pressure over time.
Prevention/Solution
Diet foods may not provide enough energy if you are starting a regular exercise plan, another key to long-term weight maintenance and health. You may find that the diet foods don't keep you full long, and you end up bingeing on more food. The best weight-loss solution is to maintain a consistent, healthy diet with carbohydrates, protein and fat at every meal. When dieting, you can reduce the amount of calories in your diet by cutting down on portion sizes, exercising and trading empty calorie foods for more nutritious ones.
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