Why these seven veggies help you shed pounds
August 19, 2016 Ashley 0 Comments
When it comes to weight loss, we all know the produce protip:
Eat more veggies, and you’ll jettison those el-bees from the scale.
But, if you’re gonna go out when it comes to green goodness, you wanna go all out, right? I mean, if we’re eating healthy, we might as well get the most weight loss bang for our caloric buck, no? Yes. Which means, we should be raising our standards when it comes to plants: namely where the calorie-to-fiber ratio is concerned. See, one salient aspect of any successful weight loss venture includes both feeling strong and satiated while reducing our caloric intake. This is why vegetables make for great snacks – while their calorie count’s low (which accounts for the deficit you need to get lean), they’re also as nutrient dense as they are high in fiber. And why’s fiber so favorable? Well, aside from the fact that it keeps things “moving along” nicely, a meal high in the stuff also proffers the one-two punch of both filling you up more than other foods and better regulating the release of blood sugar. The former facet’s helpful because, if you’re feeling satisfied food-wise, you’re less likely to keep snacking (or reaching for bad food later). And the latter aspect’s helpful inasmuch as regulated blood sugar means less of a tendency to store fat and suffer the wrath of Type 2 Diabetes. Thus, while any array of veggies will boost your move in the direction of a slimmer you, if you’re super diligent in your quest to fit into that pair of micro-shorts from your formative years, here’s a garden variety of my fave fiber high, calorie low go-to’s:
1. Parsnips
Dunno what these are? No worries. Nor did I, till recently. These colorless cousins of the carrot harbor a nuttier (and somewhat sweeter) taste, but brag a 2.8 gram grand total on the fiber scale (for every half cup). And, calorie-wise, these roots won’t do you in; they’ve only got 55.
2. Sweet potato
I’m not big on Thanksgiving sides. But you can bet that that this veg is one I’ll always write home about. (Or text at least: “Mom, are you making sweetato dish this year? No? Mmmkay I’m not coming. JK ILY.”) And, while growing up I definitely didn’t know it, it was healthily filling me up all along. ’cause this dinner food with a dessert like taste has got a whopping 2.2 grams of fiber for every half cup, but only 60 calories.
3. Potatoes
Maybe the sweet thing ain’t your thang. You like good old fashioned basic taters. And it doesn’t take a multitude of eyes to see why. Home fries, hash browns, wedges… whatever your preference is, there’re a plethora of delectable ways to prep these toothsome tubers. And, what’s more, they’ve also got a high fiber content at 3 grams a cup – with only 128 calories.
4. Asparagus
Okay, so maybe these green spears makes your trips to the loo a little tough on the ol’ olfactory bulb. But, aside from the fact that they’re scrumptious stalks, they also come with 3 grams of fiber in each half cup – and only 33 cals. My vote? The stinky tinkle time’s worth what these rods of awesomery have to offer.
5. Avocados
You know, you could tell me right this moment that avocados aren’t good for me after all. That they’ll turn me into a monster. Cause a terminal illness. Make me spontaneously grow a third limb – from my forehead. And you know what? My face would be still be slathered in remnants of this delicious, green butter of the earth at some point later today. (Probably five minutes from now, now that it’s on my mind.) I don’t need any convincing to nom on some avos. However, it’s always nice to get a bit of dietary confirmation, like the fact that this “good fat” packs 3.4 grams o’ fibery goodness per half cup – and only 80 calories.
6. Peas
I recently saw a “Peas are the new avocado” article (written by some anonymous blasphemer) online. And, admittedly, I scoffed. I still dismiss it as a concept, mind you, but the writers weren’t wrong about these tiny emerald spheres outranking avos on the weight loss scale – seeing as these things pack 4.4 g of fiber and 62 cal in half a cup of the stuff. Though I still say “Why choose?”; in my humble opinion, I feel these two things’d go great together – like peas in a pod. A very, very large pod.
7. Artichokes
Eat your heart out, other veggies. ’cause artichoke hearts rank the highest in fiber at 10.3 grams per half cup, and a mere 64 calories. These things are so delicious that I almost didn’t believe these stats. Nothing this savory can be okay for me in massive amounts, am I right? (I nearly Snopes’d it for verification.) But it’s true. Lucky for us, sometimes some things that seem too blissful to be legit, simply aren’t. Artichokes are just one of ’em. Along with all the other items on this list of deliciousness.
So, if you want to get serious about your lean-greens game, try a few of these seven veggies.
’cause upping your fiber’s a fab way to make the scale numbers go down.