Fruits and vegetables
are part of well-balanced meal plans. There are many ways to lose weight
or maintain a healthy weight. Consuming more fruits and vegetables, whole
grains, lean meats, nuts and beans is a safe and healthy way to do it. Helping
to control your weight is not the only benefit of eating more fruits and
vegetables. Diets based on 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 should consume fewer
calories than your body spends.
This does not mean that
you necessarily have to eat less food. You can create lower calorie
versions of some of your favorite foods by replacing high-calorie ingredients
with low-calorie fruits and vegetables. The water and fiber of fruits and
vegetables adds volume to your dishes, so you can eat the same amount of food
but with fewer calories. Most fruits and vegetables are, by nature, low in
calories and fat and give the feeling of being full.
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Here are some simple ways to reduce calories and
eat fruits and vegetables throughout the day:
Breakfast: to start the day well
·
Substitute an egg or
half the cheese that brings your morning omelette for a little spinach, onions
or mushrooms. Vegetables add volume and flavor to the dish with fewer
calories than eggs or cheese.
·
Put less cereal in your
bowl to fit a few pieces of banana, peaches or strawberries. You can still
eat a full bowl, but you will have fewer calories.
Lighten your lunch
·
Substitute 2 ounces of
cheese and 2 ounces of meat into vegetables such as lettuce, tomatoes,
cucumbers or onions in your sandwich, wrap or burrito. The new version
will leave you satisfied with fewer calories than the original version.
·
Add a cup of chopped
vegetables such as broccoli, carrots, beans, or red peppers to your favorite
broth soup instead of 2 ounces of meat or a cup of noodles. The vegetables
will leave you satisfied and you will not notice the lack of those extra
calories.
Dinner
·
Add 1 cup of chopped
vegetables such as broccoli, tomatoes, squash, onions or peppers to your
favorite dish and remove 1 cup of rice or pasta. The meal plate with
vegetables will be just as satisfying but will have fewer calories than the
same amount of food in the original version.
·
Look closely at what is
on your plate. Vegetables, fruits and whole grains should occupy the
largest portion of the dish. If not, replace some meat, cheese, white
pasta or rice and put vegetables, steamed broccoli, asparagus, green leaves or
other vegetables you prefer. This way you can reduce the total calories in
your food without reducing the amount you eat. BUT remember to use a
normal-sized or small dish, not the size of a serving dish. The total
calories you eat count, although a large proportion comes from fruits and
vegetables.
Practical refreshments
·
Most meal plans include
one or two small snacks a day. If you mainly choose fruits and vegetables,
you can consume a snack of only 100 calories.
About 100 calories or less
·
A medium apple (72
calories)
·
A medium banana (105
calories)
·
1 cup steamed green
beans (44 calories)
·
1 cup blueberries (83
calories)
·
1 cup of grapes (100
calories)
·
1 cup carrots (45
calories), broccoli (30 calories) or peppers (30 calories) with 2 tablespoons
hummus (46 calories)
Instead of a
high-calorie snack from a vending machine, bring pieces of vegetables or fruit
from home. A 1-ounce bag of corn chips for snacks has the same number of
calories as a small apple, 1 cup of strawberries, and a cup of carrots with 1/4
of a low-calorie sauce. Replace the chips with one or two of these options
and enjoy a rewarding snack with fewer calories.
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Remember: The key is in the substitution.
It's true that fruits
and vegetables have fewer calories than many other foods, but they still have
some calories anyway. If you eat fruits and vegetables in addition to what
you normally eat, you are adding calories and you may end up gaining weight. The
key is in the substitution. Eat fruits and vegetables instead of other
high calorie foods.
More tips for fruits and vegetables to be part
of your weight management plan
Eat fresh fruits and vegetables, or prepare them
fat-free or low-fat.
Try steamed vegetables,
use low-calorie or low-fat dressings, and use herbs and spices to flavor. Some
culinary methods such as breading and frying, or using dressings or sauces with
high fat content greatly increases the calories and fat of the saucer. And
eat fresh fruits to enjoy their natural sweetness.
Canned or frozen vegetables are good choices
when no fresh produce is available.
However, be careful to
choose those that do not have additional sugars, syrups, creams or other
calorie-adding ingredients.
Choose fruit in its natural form instead of in
drinks and juices. Juices lack fruit fiber.
It is better to eat the
fruit because it contains the extra fiber that helps you to feel satisfied. A
6-ounce serving of orange juice has 85 calories, compared to the 65 calories of
a medium orange.
Fruits provide a larger snack than dried fruits,
for the same amount of calories.
A small box of raisins
(1/4 cup) has about 100 calories. For the same amount of calories, you can
eat a cup of grapes.
Related Resources
Check out these websites
for more information on how fruits and vegetables can help control weight:
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