Weight loss meal programs and the importance of fruits and vegetables run hand in hand. One without the other will make the task of weight loss much more difficult. Even with these recommended foods it is a good idea to delve into the caloric and nutrient value of them and make the best choices. Like many things, these food stuffs are not equal.
When dieting we are wise to study the food pyramid and familiarize ourselves with the number of servings suggested per day. In doing so, one will quickly see that fruits and vegetable allow for the greatest number of servings. The reasoning behind this is that they are nature’s foods that also offer an adequate supply of minerals and vitamins.
If you are in a grocery store, you may find it amusing to watch the rituals that people perform in their selection of fruits and vegetables. Some people will smell them, others will check closely for bruising, and still others will gently squeeze the item to see how firm it is. These things have been done for years, and you may even be one of those who practice these habits. They certainly will do no harm, but they have little or nothing to do with what these food items can do for us. Our choice of ingestion and preparation are what matter.
It has been noted that the darker and richer the color of the vegetable, the more nutrition it contains. Some of them, like lettuce, are so low in calories a dieter may consider them a free food, or one they can eat at any time when hunger strikes. These types of vegetables are made up mostly of water. Don’t let that fact fool you as they still supply needed nutrition. A plateful of greens topped of with vinaigrette dressing is a great diet food. When the proverbial sweet tooth kicks in just go to the fruit section of any store and see what Mother Nature has in store for you. There are many choices of apples and some of them are so sweet it is likened to a piece of cake. Any type of berry will suffice. Nothing is more sweet and juicy than a strawberry in season. Your palate may find you enjoying blackberries or blueberries instead. All of them are low in cholesterol and being naturally sweet allows the body to use the sugar wisely.
The lack of calories with high nutrient value makes leafy greens one of the highest ranking in the family of vegetables. Admittedly, some of them are not highly tasteful in their natural state but depending on how you prepare them will decide how many nutrients they will retain. Boiling is the worst, while steaming is the recommended way to cook them.
Fruits do contain some sugar but it is a natural by product of the food and is used in the body in a totally different way than the the sugar we find in ice cream, cake, and candy. One is natural; the other is not. This translates into fruits and vegetables doing very little to add inches to the waistline.
Produce products can add innumerable vitamins and minerals to our daily diet regime. These foods are an immune system booster and energy levels are at their best. There is a place and time for vitamin pills with some people, but I hope to never be one of them.
Denise Osborne is your average American woman who eats what she wants and stays thin. For an easy, yet effective weight loss meal program to help you lose weight and keep it off while still eating french fries too, please visit the Weight Loss Meal Program website.