Ditch the cakes, cookies and candies. By opting for certain fruits, you increase your fiber intake, which promotes weight loss, and provides you with other health benefits.
Fruit is generally high in fiber and low in calories, making it an ideal food for weight loss or maintenance. When it comes to losing weight, one of the big challenges for many people is giving up the seemingly ubiquitous desserts. Your colleague may have brought croissants for the team or chocolate bars seem to attract you in the checkout aisle of the supermarket. And when the holidays arrive, everything has to be redone. It’s like an obstacle course to set goals for yourself.
Here’s your workout buddy for weight loss: fruit. Not only does fruit have the sweet taste you crave, but unlike processed treats, it’s packed with nutrients. It’s no wonder some call them Mother Nature’s sweets.
In fact, it is often recommended to fill half your plate with fruits and vegetables for optimal health. Although whole fruits are healthy, all foods contain calories, and you need to take this into account when losing weight. If you follow the famous ketogenic diet, some fruits are also preferable to others, due to strict carbohydrate restrictions. Also, for people with type 2 diabetes, although the myth that fruits are unhealthy is not true, their consumption should be monitored due to the number of carbohydrates they contain, otherwise cause a spike in blood sugar.
How much is right for you may vary, but the fact is: Fruit is a healthy addition to your weight loss program. When you’re trying to lose weight, it’s important to feel fuller for longer, but also to enjoy what you’re eating. It is an essential part of sustainable and healthy weight loss; Fruit can fill you up with the fiber it contains, but it’s also delicious. So it’s a great option.
Here’s a rundown of the top picks, along with ideas on how to enjoy them whether you’re looking to maintain weight or simply do your body some good.
1 Fiber-rich apples give you a sweet tooth on the go
Apples are high in fiber but low in calories, which, like many fruits, makes them a smart food choice if you’re trying to lose weight. Fiber-rich foods can help slow digestion and keep you feeling full longer. For optimal satiety and fiber intake, keep the skin on. A medium-sized apple contains 4.37 grams (g) of fiber, or 16% of the daily value (DV), and 96.4 calories. Previous research has linked the consumption of fiber-rich foods to weight management.
How to taste
Spruce up your favorite salad with sliced apples, dip them in Greek yogurt as a snack, or add them to rolled oats for a natural sweet flavor.
The protein-rich Greek yogurt provides 14.9g per 150g tub of low-fat plain yogurt. Plus, thanks in part to its protein, Greek yogurt can be a great weight-loss companion, according to research published July 2015 in Nutrition Reviews. Pairing your apple with oats is also smart for your waistline, since oats offer an extra fiber boost. If you prefer a no-frills snack, just grab an apple and go. Their portability is part of their appeal.
2 Raspberries are one of the best sources of fiber
Due to their sweet taste, raspberries can help satisfy a sugar craving. They contain fiber as well as antioxidants, which fight harmful substances called free radicals in the body, as research has shown. A cup of raspberries contains 8g of fiber, or 28% of the DV, making them an excellent source. Berries, in particular, are often considered superfoods due to their high content of vitamin C and vitamin E, antioxidants that help fight chronic disease, according to a March 2018 article in Frontiers in Pharmacology. . A cup of raspberries gives you 32 mg of vitamin C, 35% of your DV, and 1.07 mg of vitamin E, or 7% of your DV.
How to taste them?
Although raspberries are a good addition to salads and yogurts, they make a great snack on their own. Take a break, take a handful and eat them slowly. This will strengthen your ability to eat mindfully, while enjoying a sweet touch.
3 Whole oranges, not the juice, promote weight loss
A medium-sized orange provides 3.14 g of fiber, or 11% of your DV. But that only applies if you’re eating the fruit itself, so keep that in mind if you’re eating to reduce your waistline.
Avoid orange juice and eat a whole or cut orange instead. Additionally, oranges are packed with vitamin C, which has several health benefits, such as boosting the immune system, aiding in collagen production, and iron absorption. A medium-sized orange contains 69.7 mg of vitamin C, or 77% of the DV.
How to taste them
Prepare an orange sauce and use it to garnish chicken breast or fish to get your dose of vitamin C and protein. According to a study published in June 2015 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, making sure to meet your protein needs is a good strategy for weight loss because it helps you feel full longer. Harvard University notes that you need 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight, or 54g of protein per day for a 68kg person.
4 Mangoes boost metabolism
Mangoes offer the sugar-free fix you need, and they may even help improve your metabolism and reduce inflammation. A small, short-term study published in April 2017 in The FASEB Journal found that mango lowered blood pressure and helped regulate blood sugar, two things that play a role in metabolism. It also improved markers of inflammation, according to the study. And of course, they offer a healthy dose of weight-supporting fiber. A mango contains 3.31 g of fiber, or about 12% of the DV.
How to taste them
After cutting the mango into slices or chunks, sprinkle it with some chilli and lime juice. This will give you a tasty snack; plus, the kick can boost the weight loss potential of this snack. A study published in June 2017 in the International Journal of Food Science and Nutrition found that the active ingredient in chili peppers, capsaicin, can speed up weight loss efforts.
5 Avocados Contain Good Fats That Help You Feel Fuller Longer
Just like tomatoes, you may not consider avocados a fruit. Still, even though they look weird in a fruit bowl, avocados can be a great addition to a weight loss goal. In fact, it’s one of the fattiest plant foods around, about 77% of an avocado’s calories come from fat, the good one. The monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids in avocados have been linked to better heart health and they significantly increase satiety levels.
Fiber also contributes to the satiating effect of avocados: Half an avocado provides 4.55 g of fiber, or nearly 16% of the DV. A study published in April 2019 in Nutrients showed that overweight and obese participants who ate avocados with a meal were less hungry after six hours than those who ate a low-fat, high-carb meal.
How to taste them
The texture of the avocado creates a creamy, thick drink, like a milkshake, and you can add all kinds of nutrients to it, like banana, kale, chard, and Greek yogurt.
6 Bananas also help you feel full longer, thanks to their resistant starch.
Bananas are often said to be ‘too high’ in carbohydrates. Because fruit is full of natural sugar, which translates to carbs, it’s a common myth that it can contribute to weight gain. People on a low-carb diet, like the keto diet, are often advised to avoid fruits like bananas. In fact, some of the carbohydrates in bananas come in the form of fiber, pectin and resistant starch. Both of these may actually help regulate blood sugar, not cause it to spike.
This type of starch earns that name because it’s resistant to digestion, according to previous research, and that’s a good thing because it functions like fiber and slows down digestion. Which keeps you full longer and keeps blood sugar levels stable so you stay energized. This can save you from a blood sugar crash that causes you to reach for a treat to cheer you up.
How to taste them
It’s not for nothing that they are an ingredient of choice for smoothies. They mix well and add a tropical flavor to any mix. For extra weight loss, add a small handful of walnuts. Research has shown that nuts can help with weight loss, primarily because they help you stay full longer thanks to their fat and protein content.
7 Pineapple promotes hydration and satiety
In addition to another large amount of vitamin C, one cup of chunks provides 78.9 mg, or about 88% of the DV, pineapple has a high water content and has been shown to be hydrating in numerous studies to aid in weight loss. For example, one review noted that several clinical trials have shown that adding water-rich foods, such as fruits and vegetables, to your diet is associated with weight loss, even when participants did not. have not been instructed to restrict calories.
How to appreciate
Even if you flatly deny the question of pineapple on pizza, pineapple goes well with salty foods and dairy products. For example, mix crushed pineapple with cottage cheese for a snack. With so many different fruit options, it’s easy to play around with flavor combinations, create a treat when you need it, and enjoy all the fiber and nutrients that make it an ideal addition to your weight loss efforts.
