1. Beans
Cheap, filling, and versatile, beans are a great source of protein. Beans are also high in fiber and slow to digest. That helps you feel full longer, which may stop you from eating more.
2. Soup
Start a meal with a cup of soup and you may end up
eating less. It doesn’t matter if the soup is chunky or pureed, as long
as its broth based. You want to keep the soup to 100 to 150 calories a
serving. So skip the dollops of cream and butter.
3. Dark Chocolate
Want to enjoy chocolate between meals? Pick a square
or two of dark over the milky version. In a Copenhagen study, chocolate
lovers who were given dark chocolate ate 15% less pizza a few hours
later than those who had eaten milk chocolate.
4. Pureed Vegetables
You can add more veggies to your diet, enjoy your
"cheat" foods, and cut back on the calories you’re eating all at the
same time. When Penn State researchers added pureed cauliflower and
zucchini to mac and cheese, people seemed to like the dish just as much.
But they ate 200 to 350 fewer calories. Those healthy vegetables added
low-cal bulk to the tasty dish.
5. Eggs and Sausage
A protein-rich breakfast may help you resist snack attacks throughout the day. In a study of a group of obese
young women, those who started the day with 35 grams of protein --
that’s probably way more than you’re eating -- felt fuller right away.
The women were given a 350-calorie breakfast that included eggs and a
beef sausage patty. The effect of the high-protein breakfast seemed to
last into the evening, when the women munched less on fatty, sugary
goods than the women who had cereal for breakfast.
6. Nuts
For a healthy snack on the run, choose a small
handful of almonds, peanuts, walnuts, or pecans. Research shows that
when people munch on nuts they automatically eat less at later meals.
7. Apples
Skip the apple juice or the applesauce and opt
instead for a crunchy apple. Research shows that whole fruit blunts
appetite in a way that fruit juices and sauces don’t. One reason is that
raw fruit contains more fiber. Plus, chewing sends signals to our brain that we’ve eaten something substantial.
8. Yogurt
Whether you prefer Greek or traditional, yogurt can
be good for your waistline. A Harvard study followed more than 120,000
people for a decade or longer. Yogurt, of all the foods that were
tracked, was most closely linked to weight loss.
9. Grapefruit
Yes, grapefruit really can help you shed pounds, especially if you are at risk for diabetes.
Researchers at the Scripps Clinic in San Diego found that when people
ate half a grapefruit before each meal, they dropped an average of 3 1/2
pounds over 12 weeks. Drinking grapefruit juice had the same results.
But be careful: You cannot have grapefruit or grapefruit juice if you
are on certain medications, so check the label on all your prescriptions, or ask your pharmacist or doctor.
