Delicious foods that
help you diet? It sounds too good to be true.
No doubt: Weight loss comes
down to simple math. You have to eat fewer calories than you burn.
"Certain foods can help you shed body weight," says Heather Mangieri, RD, a spokeswoman
for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics,
"because they help you feel full longer and help curb cravings."
1. SOUP
Start a meal with a cup of
soup, and you may end up eating less. It doesn’t matter if the soup is chunky
or pureed, as long as it's broth-based. You want to keep the soup to 100 to 150
calories a serving. So skip the dollops of cream and butter.
2. BEANS
Inexpensive, filling, and
versatile, beans are a great source of protein. Beans are also high in fiber
and slow to digest. That means you feel full longer, which may stop you from
eating more.
3. EGGS AND SAUSAGE
A protein-rich breakfast may help
you resist snack attacks throughout the day.
In a study of a group of obese young women, those who started the day with 35
grams of protein -- that’s probably way more than you’re eating -- felt fuller
right away. The women ate a 350-calorie breakfast that
included eggs and a beef sausage patty. The effect of the high-protein
breakfast seemed to last into the evening, when the women munched less on
fatty, sugary goods than the women who had cereal for breakfast.
4. PUREED
VEGETABLES
You can add more veggies to
your diet, enjoy your "cheat" foods, and cut back on the calories
you’re eating, all at the same time. When Penn State researchers added pureed
cauliflower and zucchini to mac and cheese, people seemed to like the dish just
as much. But they ate 200 to 350 fewer calories. Those healthy vegetables added
low-cal bulk to the tasty dish.
5. APPLES
Skip the apple juice and the applesauce and opt
instead for a crunchy apple. Whole fruit blunts appetite in a way that fruit
juices and sauces don’t.
One reason is that raw fruit has more fiber.
Plus, chewing sends signals to your brain that you’ve
eaten something substantial.
6. NUTS
For a great snack on the run, take a small
handful of almonds, peanuts, walnuts, or pecans. Research shows that when
people munch on nuts, they automatically eat less at later meals.
7. YOGURT
Whether you prefer Greek or traditional, yogurt
can be good for your waistline.
A Harvard study followed more than 120,000
people for a decade or longer. Yogurt, of all the foods that were tracked, was
most closely linked to weight loss.
That doesn't prove that yogurt
caused weight loss, but it stood out among other foods.
8. DARK CHOCOLATE
Want to enjoy chocolate between
meals? Pick a square or two of dark over the milky version. In one study, chocolate lovers who were given dark chocolate
ate 15% less pizza a few hours later than those who had eaten milk chocolate.
9. GRAPEFRUIT
Yes, grapefruit really can help you shed pounds,
especially if you are at risk for diabetes.
Researchers at Scripps Clinic in San Diego found
that when obese people ate half a grapefruit before each meal,
they dropped an average of 3 ½ pounds over 12 weeks. Drinking grapefruit juice
had the same results.
But grapefruit juice doesn't have any proven
"fat-burning" properties -- it may just have helped people feel full.
Be careful: You cannot have grapefruit or
grapefruit juice if you are on certain medications, so check the label on all
your prescriptions, or ask your pharmacist or doctor.
Shop Smart.
Load your shopping cart with lots of lean
protein, fresh veggies, fruit, and whole grains, says food scientist Joy
Dubost, PhD, RD. The most important thing, when it comes to lasting weight
loss, is the big picture of what you eat, not specific foods.
