You Can Eat As Much As You Want On A Diet
By Chef K.T. Murphy
Eating as much as you want without gaining weight is a long-held promise by fad diets and miracle pill sellers for decades. Unfortunately, this is a big fat lie. There is no way you can eat as much as you want and take a pill and lose weight. If there were, obesity would not be at epidemic levels in the United States we would all be thin, fit, and fabulous.
Unfortunately, there is no magic pill to lose weight, however, there are healthy foods high in nutrients, and low in calories we can splurge on without seriously compromising our weight and health.
If one of your goals for the New Year is to have healthier eating habits, these five foods can be your best allies.
1. Celery or Cucumbers
These green veggies are super low in calories and make a great crunchy snack. A stalk of celery has only 6 calories and a whole large cucumber only has 47. Cucumbers and celery are also mostly water and so both help improves hydration in the body and also the skin.
2. Berries
Strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries are versatile foods. You can eat them fresh or frozen, add them to desserts, or blend them into your morning smoothie.
And there’s good reason to splurge on berries – for starters, they’re rich in antioxidants, which help protect your cells from damage. For example, one cup of strawberries has only 50 calories it’s packed with fiber, potassium, and vitamin C. Other berries, like blueberries or blackberries, are around 60 to 80 calories per cup, and they have exactly the same benefits to your health – they keep your cells healthy, aid digestion, and keep you full and alert.
3. Cherry Tomatoes
Seven cherry tomatoes have only 15 calories, you can basically burn off these calories by breathing! They are also delicious, and there are many sweet varieties such as grape tomatoes that really satisfy the sweet tooth.
4. Greens
Kale, lettuce, broccoli, spinach – these leafy green vegetables are a fantastic source of nutrients for fewer calories. Use them to fill up any dish for a more filling and nutritious lunch or dinner. For example, broccoli is rich in vitamins A, C, E, and K, and it’s also packed with fiber. One cup of broccoli has only 30 calories but adds up to 10% of your daily fiber needs.
Kale has been in the spotlight recently, and for all the right reasons. It is low in calories (33 calories in one cup of kale) and high in fiber, omega-three fatty acids, and vitamins.
Other greens like spinach and lettuce might not add a lot of protein to your diet, but they are packed with vitamins A and C, iron, and folates.
5. Carrots
Carrots make for nutritious, low-calorie food, either raw or cooked. In fact, the nutritional content of carrots -they’re high in vitamins and fiber- compared with its calorie content (about 25 calories for a medium-sized carrot) makes it the perfect snack. This means you can never eat too many carrot sticks.
The trick to a healthy diet is knowing which foods you should only enjoy sparingly and which ones you can splurge on as much as you want.
All the best, Good Food makes For Better Decisions.
Chef Murph
