It’s official, Spring and weightloss is putting us on the scale! The quickest way to lose weight is to consume VEGETABLES, thereby, giving your body the opportunity to work at breaking down the soluble fiber and nutrients, while increasing the body’s metabolism.
4 servings Fruits,
5-6 servings Vegetables,
2 servings of 3 oz meat, poultry or fish,
2 servings EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil),
4-5 servings your choice: grains, pasta, rice or bread,
1-2 servings skim or 1% milk
Additional studies published in “The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition” put forth the results of a randomized study that compared a “reduced fat diet (RF)” and a “reduced fat intake and increased fruit and vegetable intake (RF+FV)”. The study concluded that the greater weightloss after six months was sharply noticed with the combination diet of RF+FV, by 1/3 more total weightloss! “Reducing dietary energy density, particularly by combining increased fruit and vegetable intakes with decreased fat intake, is an effective strategy for managing body weight while controlling hunger.” Additionally, they noted that maintenance of the weightloss was also more prevalent, “The 2 strategies for reducing energy density that were tested in this trial were both effective in reducing body weight and maintaining weight loss without prescribing limits for energy or fat intake.” Other studies, such as the Dash Diet, TLC Diet and Mediterranean Diet concur that combining the RF+FV is the healthiest and most effective way to go. Don’t forget to exercise 20 minutes a day to encourage increased weightloss.
Find your Dietary Meal Plan here:
TRY SOME “NEW TO YOU” FRUITS AND VEGETABLES
FRUITS
Apricots: Dried, cooked, unsweetened 1/2 cup
Banana, raw 1 medium
Clementines, raw 2 small
Grapefruit juice: Canned or frozen, unsweetened 3/4 cup
Fresh 3/4 cup Honeydew melon, Cantaloupe
Nectarine, raw 1 medium
Orange juice: 6 ounces
Peaches: Dried, cooked, unsweetened 1/2 cup
Pears: Dried, uncooked 1/2 cup, Pear Juice
Pomegranate, raw 1 medium
Prunes, dried, cooked, unsweetened 1/2 cup
Raspberries, Strawberries, Blackberries, Blueberries, Gogi Berries,
Raisins, Craisins 1/4 cup
Watermelon, raw About 1 3/4 cups diced
Grilled Mango and Pineapple Sticks
VEGETABLES
Artichoke, globe (french), cooked 1 medium
Asparagus, cooked 1/2 cup, Raw 1 cup
Beans: Green, carrot sticks (steamed, add garlic, salt pepper, EVOO) 1/2 cup
Lentils (Lebanese or Jordanian style), cooked 1/2 cup
Cauliflower, cooked 1/2 cup, Raw 1 cup
Kale Chips (chopped, salt, pepper EVOO. 7 min. 400 bake oven) 1/2 cup
Corn, cooked 1/2 cup
Fennel cooked 1/2 cup, Raw 1cup
Grilled Portabella Mushrooms, 1/2 cup
Peas, green, cooked 1/2 cup, also frozen / thawed
Plantain, green or ripe, boiled 1 medium
Potato: Baked or boiled, with or w/o skin 1 medium
Pumpkin, cooked 1/2 cup
Rutabaga, cooked 1/2 cup
Spinach Salad with 4 olives 1/2 cup
Squash, winter, cooked, mashed 1/2 cup
Sweet-potato: Baked 1 medium or Boiled 1 medium
Cherry Tomatoes 4,Tomatoes: Raw 1 med., Tomato juice, canned 3/4 c.
By: Kimberly Crocker
Literature Research
Eat Know How 