Diet-Friendly Carbs That Won’t Spoil Your Weight Loss

We’ve all been on a diet, but the things to usually kick the bucket from our favourite meals are the carbs. These starchy additions may fill us up but they’re usually laden with calories that make them unsuitable for any healthy weight loss plan. Here are some alternatives that you may find helpful in keeping you feeling full and satisfied throughout the day.

Cereal as a filling breakfast every day

If you can, aim for an unsweetened whole grain variety of cereal with at least 3g of fibre per serving. However, researchers have found that just eating any cereal may be enough. A study carried out by University of California found that cereal eaters tend to eat more fibre and less fat than non-cereal eaters.

Two apples a day keep the doctor away

Apples are a great sources of pectin which is a soluble fibre to contribute to the feeling of fullness we all crave. They’re also digested slowly, keeping you feeling fuller for longer. A 1997 study found that just 5g of pectin was enough to leave people feeling full for up to four hours.

Assign one day a week for a yoghurt mix breakfast

Take 175g of yoghurt and mix in 75ml of bran cereal, one tablespoon of ground flaxseeds and five large, diced strawberries for a tasty yet fibre-filled breakfast. Alternatively, you can mix an equal amount of your favourite cereal with All Bran.

Use carrots and broccoli as a snack food

Instead of snacking on crisps and chocolate, three days a week you can switch it up by dipping baby carrots and brocolli florets into salsa or low fat yoghurt. Not only will it count towards your five a day but it will fill up your stomach and provide you with around 5g of fibre in the process.

Check the ingredients listed in products

If you’re buying whole grain products, you want to be sure that what you’re eating is exactly that. The first ingredient listed is ‘whole’ as in whole wheat or whole grain. If it’s multigrain, seven grain, cracked wheat or enriched wheat, among others, then it’s lacking the vital vitamins and minerals you need. Not to mention, of course, the fibre.

Keep a healthy container of snacks

Mix together unsalted peanuts, a high fibre cereal and some chocolate covered raisins. When you get a case of the munchies, you can snack on a handful of the mixture which is the perfect combination of sweet and savoury, as well as keeping you full throughout the day.

Switch to whole grain crackers

You wouldn’t think that a small cracker could make that much difference, but one regular whole grain cracker contains a massive 500mg of fibre. So, ten crackers could provide you with 5g of fibre. Next time you fancy a snack, spread a thin layer of peanut butter on a whole grain cracker instead of some bread for a healthier snack.

Add kidney beans to your lunch-time salad

Kidney beans, and other legumes, are a tasty way to fill up and add a bundle of nutrients to your salad. Not to mention that fact that they are full of fibre and a great alternative to bread or croutons. Alternatively, you could opt for an exotic grain once a week, such as wheatberries or bulgar wheat. Usually, they are as simple to prepare as rice but often loaded with flavour and fibre. Try adding some roasted vegetables and feta cheese to some bulgar wheat for a tasty lunch.

Categories: alternative foods, bulgar wheat, carbs, Cereal, cereal eaters, diet, fibre, grain, grain cracker, kidney beans, Weight Loss, Wheat

Bread Wars: Cut the Carb Confusion by Choosing 100%

By now you must know your bread basics; whole grain is the Mack Daddy of nutrition, while white, refined bread is more devoid of goodness than Freddy Krueger. That said, why is it so difficult to tell which bread is best for your wellbeing when you’re at the supermarket? In any given bread aisle, you’ll see whole wheat, multi-grain, seven-grain, 12-grain, all natural, organic and enriched, to name a few, but this isn’t giving you as much of a choice as you think.  Unfortunately, loose labeling laws allow these “Kruegers” to masquerade as “Mack Daddies” all the while doing nothing for your wellness, and leaving you unaware. So, how do you beat the system, and still come out on top with the very best bread?

 

Don’t settle for less than 100%. On the packaging, look for the term “100% whole grain” or “100% whole wheat”– either one is fine as whole wheat is a whole grain. Most whole grain breads are primarily made with wheat anyway, but if you’d rather have a mix of grains then you need to check the list on the label. The order the ingredients are listed shows how much they feature within the loaf (wheat, oats, flax seeds, barley, buckwheat, etc). If you see terms like “Wheat” or “Multigrain” that don’t mention a percentage, put the package down and step away slowly. While these breads sound healthy, the chances are that they’re made with partially or mostly refined white flour. For example, 75% of wheat flour is actually white flour and only 25% is whole wheat.

 

Eliminate enriched. That’s a great word – enriched – as it covers all manner of sins. All this term means is that the manufacturer as added nutrients to an otherwise nutrient-free, white bread. These synthetic nutrients (yum) have been added to replace the natural ones that have been lost in the milling process – it’s like the bread equivalent of putting lipstick on a pig.

 

Understand the benefits. 100% whole grain breads can reduce your risks of stroke, diabetes, heart disease, asthma and colorectal cancer, as well as giving your body a powerful punch of protein, fibre, B vitamins and many other nutrients that help to lower your blood pressure, strengthen your immune system and maintain your weight. Other breads, on the other hand, have been cleared of all these nutrients, and even raise your risk for diseases like diabetes.

Categories: 100% wholegrain, Bread, grain, grain breads, labelling laws, Wheat, white bread, white flour