We talk a lot about the nutritional value of food. For those who are looking to lose weight, a caloric deficit through diet and exercise is necessary. In creating a caloric deficit, tracking calories can be extremely beneficial. Many times people don’t realize just how many calories they are eating. I find that with my clients, this is frequently the case. For those who are having a hard time seeing the scale budge, you may want to try tracking every bite you eat for a couple days. What you find out may surprise you. Usually people realize that 1) they grab extra bites and handfuls that they didn’t realize they were eating, and 2) their portions are not what they thought they were.
The problem is that we sometimes eat foods that are calorie dense and nutrient-less, when we would benefit so much more from foods that are nutrient dense and calorie-less. You want to make good food choices, and part of this is choosing foods that are worth it calorically. Let me paint you a little picture…
- 1 chocolate Costco Muffin has 690 calories and 38 grams of fat
- You could eat 25.5 cups of broccoli to total the same amount of calories.
Can you even imagine eating 25.5 cups of broccoli? It would fill you RIGHT up. I can tell you that. I can’t promise that with a Costco muffin, that is actually more like a glorified slice of cake, anything more than a real sugar high followed by a crash.
What I am trying to get at is that filling your diet full of foods that are low in nutrients and high in calories is not going to do much for you. Chances are they are probably also full of saturated fat and sugar. Filling your diet full of foods that are low in calories and high in nutrients can allow you to eat more, leaving you fuller and more satisfied. Here are some foods that fall into that category…
- Zucchini – With 30 calories in an entire medium zucchini, you can eat the whole thing and then some without hardly making a dent. Use them to make zucchini noodles, or healthy zucchini lasagna. Stir fry them, grill them, roast them…add them to zucchini cookies…
- Cauliflower – One cup of cauliflower has 30 calories in it. It can be extremely filling. I love to roast cauliflower in the oven. I am also a HUGE fan of using it to make cauliflower pizza crust. I also know it can be steamed and diced to use in place of rice, or blended and pureed to replace potatoes.
- Popcorn – This is a snack that I will recommend to my clients that have the munchies. Air popped popcorn has about 20 calories per cup. A little bit goes a long way. I love Boom Chicka Pop and Skinny Pop, both are all natural popcorn popped in olive oil and sea salt. I am also newly converted to the Whirly Pop, which I will post about shortly.
- Mushrooms – Mushrooms are a great addition to salads, stir fries, and can make an awesome sauteed side dish as well. One cup of mushrooms is about 20 calories. Portobello mushrooms can be used in place of a bun for burgers or sandwiches. They can be chopped and added to dishes with ground meat to add some bulk without the calories.
- Spaghetti Squash – 1 cup of spaghetti squash has about 40 calories in it. It can be used as a replacement for noodles, and goes great as a side dish to any meal.
- Spinach – You can have 15 cups of spinach and still only total 100 calories. It is extremely nutrient dense, being high in vitamin K, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc and selenium. It is awesome in a big salad, steamed and added to a meat dish, blended up in a green drink, or even wilted into a soup or stir fry.
- Cottage cheese – at only 90 calories for a 1/2 cup, you can have a high protein food that is definitely the best choice when it comes to cheeses. Add this to dishes that call for other high fat cheeses and you will cut the calories and fat drastically. I have also made protein waffles and easy cheesy chili with cottage cheese, making them filling and high in protein. And of course…there is my favorite cottage cheese avocado and tomato salad.
So instead of reaching for that unsatisfying, yet calorie-laden pastry, you might want to reach for something that will actually leave you feeling full and healthy.