Charlyn Fargo is a registered dietitian with Hy-Vee in Springfield, Ill, and a spokesperson for the Illinois Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. For comments or questions, contact her at charfarg@aol.com or follow her on Twitter @NutritionRD.
Looking to lose weight in 2016? Most of us are. We can make all the resolutions in the world, but the real key is simple -- healthier eating. To that end, try this one thing -- eat more fruits and vegetables. That's it.
You already know that fruits and vegetables are good for you, but you may not know that they may help you avoid extra weight as you age.
A new study, analyzing data on 133,468 men and women over 24 years, found that eating more fruits and non-starchy vegetables was associated with weight loss.
Here's the interesting news -- the weight-control benefit was greater for fruits than vegetables, and was strongest for certain types of produce -- berries, apples and pears, citrus fruits, cauliflower, other cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and Brussels sprouts and leafy green vegetables.
"Phenolic-rich fruits, such as berries and apples, were most strongly linked to less weight gain," said Dariush Mozaffarian, dean of Tufts' Friedman School and editor in chief of the Health & Nutrition Letter, and co-author of the study. "This suggests that bioactive compounds in these foods may be positively influencing our bodies' mechanisms for long-term weight control."
Mozaffarian, whose findings were reported in the January issue of Tufts Health and Nutrition Letter, hypothesized that greater consumption of fruits and vegetables with higher fiber content and lower glycemic load might be associated with healthier weight changes over time. Higher fiber foods increase satiety. Food with lower glycemic load may reduce hunger later on by limiting blood-sugar spikes.
Researchers looked at data from three large population studies in which participants reported their food consumption and weight every four years. The findings were published in PLOS Medicine. Researchers found that each incremental daily serving of vegetables was associated with a four-year weight loss of .25 pounds. Each incremental daily serving of fruit was associated with weight loss of .53 pounds. When individual fruits were analyzed, increased intakes of blueberries, prunes, apples, pears, strawberries, grapes and raisings and grapefruit were inversely associated with four-year weight changes.
The bottom line is many avoid fruits because they have "natural" sugar. Don't. They offer anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties -- and based on this study -- can help you drop weight.
--Here are some tips to adding them to your diet:
--Use fruits in your breakfast, over cereal or in smoothies.
--Incorporate shredded, grated or pureed vegetables in stews, casseroles or pasta dishes.
--Use frozen veggie mixes to whip up quick stir-fry dishes.
--Try carrots and hummus and broccoli with peanut butter for snacks.
--Choose fruits for snacks or instead of sugary desserts.
Q and A
Q: Will meal replacement drinks, bars and packaged food help me lose weight more successfully?
A: We're all individuals, and what helps one person lose weight may not be helpful for another. Several research reviews in recent years identify a few studies in which using meal replacement drinks, bars or packaged food as part of a larger lifestyle program may boost weight loss by a few extra pounds. It appeared to help for about six months, but the review found the evidence was not that strong. More studies are needed to understand whether that advantage continues longer term. But even if it doesn't, successfully losing weight in the first few months can help some people stay motivated and focused to develop new long-term habits. Adopting long-term habits, though, is your key to achieving and maintaining weight loss long-term. You may find meal replacements help as you learn new healthy behaviors; for example, it may help teach you about portion control, especially for high calorie foods. And, if you can learn to fill up on low-calorie, nutrient-rich vegetables and other health-promoting foods like fruit, whole grains, beans and nuts, you'll learn how to make these foods the foundation of your eating. Since excess body fat is so strongly linked to greater risk of cancer, heart disease and Type 2 diabetes, using meal replacement products may be one way to help you to start on the path to weight loss. On the other hand, these products are expensive, and they certainly are not necessary for many people to reshape eating habits. If you choose to use them, make sure they are just one part of an overall plan to create a healthy lifestyle and that you plan to make the transition to a sustainable approach to eating balanced meals with healthful whole foods. -- American Institute for Cancer Research.
RECIPE
Looking for a healthier breakfast? Here's a lower sugar granola from Cooking Light magazine. Mix it into yogurt with fresh fruit, add to oatmeal or toss into a salad.
Savory Granola
1 1/4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup pecan halves
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnut halves
1/2 cup dry-roasted sunflower seed kernels
2 tablespoons uncooked quinoa
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 large egg white
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine oats, pecans, walnuts, sunflower seeds, and quinoa in a large bowl. Combine olive oil and next 6 ingredients (through egg white) in a bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Pour olive oil mixture over oat mixture; toss to coat. Spread mixture on a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 325 degrees for 20 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. Cool completely. Serves 12 (serving size: 1/3 cup).
Per serving: 162 calories, 4 g protein, 12 g carbohydrate, 11.7 g fat, 0 cholesterol, 2 grams of fiber, 166 miligram sodium.
