Low in calories, oranges are rich in vitamin C and beta-carotene and contain a fair amount of vitamin B. Oranges are also high in fiber, which can help control hunger, regulate blood sugar and increase your feeling of fullness, all of which contribute to losing weight and keeping it off, according to Brenda Watson and Leonard Smith, authors of "The Fiber35 Diet: Nature's Weight-Loss Secret." One medium orange contains approximately 3.1 g of fiber, as much as you'll find in a slice of whole-grain bread or a serving of high-fiber cereal.
Step 1
Toss an orange into your backpack, briefcase or purse when you leave home in the morning for a quick, nutritious snack later in the day.
Step 2
Keep a bowl of oranges on your kitchen table so you'll remember to eat them. If you like them cold, store them in the crisper bin in your refrigerator.
Step 3
Make smoothies with oranges, yogurt, ice and spoonful or two of honey. Boost your fiber intake by adding bananas, strawberries, mango, grapefruit or papaya.
Step 4
Saute onions and ginger in 1/2 cup of orange juice and use as a sauce for salmon, tuna, cod or halibut.
Step 5
Incorporate oranges into fruit salads. Add banana slices, blueberries, strawberries, apple chunks, grapes, walnuts, almonds or pecans, along with a bit of brown sugar or honey.
Step 6
Stir orange zest and 1/2 orange juice into plain nonfat yogurt, along with raisins, chopped walnuts, vanilla extract and a dollop of honey. Add granola, wheat germ or ground flax seed for extra fiber.
Step 7
Invest in a quality juicer and make fresh orange juice. Limit your consumption to eight ounces daily, as the calories in orange juice are more concentrated than in the fruit itself. When buying commercial orange juice, look for 100-percent pure juice with no added sugar and choose high-pulp varieties over those with no pulp.
Step 8
Make healthy ice pops by pouring orange juice, with pulp, into ice cube trays. Cover the tray with plastic wrap, insert a toothpick into each section of the tray and place in your freezer until set.
Tips and Warnings
- Explore other citrus fruits such as grapefruit, clementines, minneolas, tangerines, tangelos and kumquats, all of which are high in fiber and vitamin C.
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