Check out this great article from the CDC! "How to Use Fruits and Vegetables to Help Manage Your Weight"
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How to Use Fruits and Vegetables to Help Manage Your Weight
Fruits and vegetables are part of a well-balanced and
healthy eating plan. There are many different ways to lose or
maintain a healthy weight. Using more fruits and vegetables
along with whole grains and lean meats, nuts, and beans is a
safe and healthy one. Helping control your weight is not the
only benefit of eating more fruits and vegetables. Diets rich in
fruits and vegetables may reduce the risk of some types of cancer and
other chronic diseases. Fruits and vegetables also provide
essential vitamins and minerals, fiber, and other substances
that are important for good health.
To lose weight, you must eat fewer calories than your body uses.
This doesn't necessarily mean that you have to eat less
food. You can create lower-calorie versions of some of your
favorite dishes by substituting low-calorie fruits and
vegetables in place of higher-calorie ingredients. The water and
fiber in fruits and vegetables will add volume to your dishes,
so you can eat the same amount of food with fewer calories. Most
fruits and vegetables are naturally low in fat and calories and
are filling.
Here are some simple ways to cut calories and eat fruits and vegetables throughout your day:
Breakfast: Start the Day Right
- Substitute some spinach, onions, or mushrooms for one of
the eggs or half of the cheese in your morning omelet. The
vegetables will add volume and flavor to the dish with
fewer calories than the egg or cheese.
- Cut back on the amount of cereal in your bowl to make
room for some cut-up bananas, peaches, or strawberries. You
can still eat a full bowl, but with fewer calories.
Lighten Up Your Lunch
- Substitute vegetables such as lettuce, tomatoes,
cucumbers, or onions for 2 ounces of the cheese and 2 ounces
of the meat in your sandwich, wrap, or burrito. The new
version will fill you up with fewer calories than the
original.
- Add a cup of chopped vegetables, such as broccoli,
carrots, beans, or red peppers, in place of 2 ounces of the
meat or 1 cup of noodles in your favorite broth-based soup.
The vegetables will help fill you up, so you won't miss those
extra calories.
Dinner
-
Add
in 1 cup of chopped vegetables such as broccoli, tomatoes,
squash, onions, or peppers, while removing 1 cup of the rice or pasta in
your favorite dish. The dish with the vegetables will be just
as satisfying but have fewer calories than the same amount of
the original version.
- Take a good look at your dinner plate. Vegetables,
fruit, and whole grains should take up the largest portion of
your plate. If they do not, replace some of the meat, cheese,
white pasta, or rice with legumes, steamed broccoli,
asparagus, greens, or another favorite vegetable. This will
reduce the total calories in your meal without reducing the amount
of food you eat. BUT remember to use a normal- or small-size plate —
not a platter. The total number of calories that you eat
counts, even if a good proportion of them come from fruits and
vegetables.
Smart Snacks
- Most healthy eating plans allow for one or two small
snacks a day. Choosing most fruits and vegetables will allow
you to eat a snack with only 100 calories.
About 100 Calories or Less
- a medium-size apple (72 calories)
- a medium-size banana (105 calories)
- 1 cup steamed green beans (44 calories)
- 1 cup blueberries (83 calories)
- 1 cup grapes (100 calories)
- 1 cup carrots (45 calories), broccoli (30 calories), or bell peppers (30 calories) with 2 tbsp. hummus (46 calories)
Instead of a high-calorie snack from a vending machine,
bring some cut-up vegetables or fruit from home. One snack-sized
bag of corn chips (1 ounce) has the same number of calories as a
small apple, 1 cup of whole strawberries, AND 1 cup of carrots
with 1/4 cup of low-calorie dip. Substitute one or two of these
options for the chips, and you will have a satisfying snack with
fewer calories.
Remember: Substitution is the key.
It's true that fruits and vegetables are lower in
calories than many other foods, but they do contain some
calories. If you start eating fruits and vegetables in addition
to what you usually eat, you are adding calories and may gain
weight. The key is substitution. Eat fruits and vegetables
instead of some other higher-calorie food.
More Tips for Making Fruits and Vegetables Part of Your Weight Management Plan
Eat fruits and vegetables the way nature provided—or with fat-free or low-fat cooking techniques.
Try steaming your vegetables, using low-calorie or
low-fat dressings, and using herbs and spices to add flavor.
Some cooking techniques, such as breading
and frying, or using high-fat dressings or sauces will
greatly increase the calories and fat in the dish. And eat your
fruit raw to enjoy its natural sweetness.
Canned or frozen fruits and vegetables are good options when fresh produce is not available.
However, be careful to choose those without added
sugar, syrup, cream sauces, or other ingredients that will add
calories.
Choose whole fruit over fruit drinks and juices. Fruit juices have lost fiber from the fruit.
It is better to eat the whole fruit because it contains the
added fiber that helps you feel full. One 6-ounce serving of
orange juice has 85 calories, compared to just 65 calories in a
medium orange.
Whole fruit gives you a bigger size snack than the same fruit dried—for the same number of calories.
A small box of raisins (1/4 cup) is about 100 calories. For the same number of calories, you can eat 1 cup of grapes.
Related Resources
Check out these Web sites for more information about how fruits and vegetables
can help you manage your weight:
FruitsandVeggiesMatter.gov
US Department of Agriculture, Center for Nutrition Policy and Practice
Having a hard time trying to fit 7-13 servings of fruits and veggies every day?!
Check out my Juice Plus+ Page for a solution with 14 years of clinical research to back it up!!
CLICK HERE ===>
How to bridge the gap between what you ARE eating and what your body WISHES it was eating!