Nutrient Dense Foods for Weight Loss

Our metabolism requires lots of nutrients that are associated with weight loss. We need diets low in energy density that can be nutritionally sound.

Let’s see what is energy density?

Energy density is the amount of energy or calories in a particular weight of food and is generally presented as the number of calories in a gram (kcal/g). Foods with a lower energy density provide fewer calories per gram than foods with a higher energy density. For the same amount of calories, a person can consume a larger portion of a food lower in energy density than a food higher in energy density.

Foods that contain high amount of nutrients (vitamins, minerals, proteins etc.), but are low in calories for a given quantity, are said to be nutrient dense foods.

List of Nutrient Dense Foods For Weight Loss:

• Vegetables: When it comes to vegetables you can find vegetables of various colors. These colourful vegetables are great sources of antioxidants. It is important for you to choose vegetables of different colors.

 For white color vegetables you can have cauliflower, onions, mushrooms, garlic, Jicama (Mexican Turnip), potatoes (baked, mashed, steamed, roasted not fried).

Green vegetables such as broccoli, kale, spinach, green peas, cucumbers, asparagus, zucchini, and any other green leafy vegetables are full with nutrients.

Red vegetables – tomatoes, red potatoes, red pepper, red onions.

Yellow & orange – carrots, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, corn, summer squash.

Blue & purple - eggplant, purple cabbage, purple fleshed potatoes.

• Grains: Grains are a great source of B Vitamins, fiber, iron, magnesium, selenium and carbohydrates. You must eat Whole wheat pasta, oatmeal, brown rice, whole wheat bread, whole wheat tortillas, buckwheat and quinoa.
• Meat: Meat, poultry, fish, egg whites provide the body protein, B Vitamins, iron, zinc and magnesium. Choose fish, skinless poultry, and lean cuts of meats. Use low fat cooking methods like baking broiling and grilling.
• Milk: Milk and milk products provide the body with protein, carbohydrate, Vitamin A & D, calcium, phosphorous, potassium, and magnesium. Choose low fat or fat free milk, yogurt and other milk products. With dairy products chose only low-fats products of one percent or no-fats products.
• Oils: Olive is the best. Make most of your fat sources from fish, nuts and vegetable oils. Limit solid fats like butter, margarine, shortening, lard and foods that contain these. Limit trans fat and limit the intake of foods made by hydrogenated oils.
• Fruits: Just like vegetables come with various colors and you have to select from these to get enough antioxidants.

White fruits -  Bananas, brown pears, dates, white peaches, white nectarine.

Green fruits – Green apples, green grapes, kiwi, avocadoes, honeydew, limes.

Red fruits – Red apples, blood oranges, cranberries, strawberries, watermelons, cherries, raspberries, pomegranates.

Yellow & Orange fruits – Apricots, cantaloupe, grapefruits, mangoes, oranges, peaches, pineapples, tangerines.

Blue & Purple fruits - Blueberries, blackberries, purple grapes, plums, raisins.

All these fruits provide fiber, Vitamin A, C, potassium, and many antioxidants and photochemical.

If you select these foods your body will get all the nutrition that you need for a healthy body and also help you to lose your weight in a healthy way.

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