Which foods are good/healthy to eat when you’re on a diet?
I am planning to go on a diet starting this month [or after getting answers from you people] and I don’t really know how to start. My ultimate goal actually is to lose about 20 pounds. I heard that fruits are good because they help detoxify the body but I am also worrying about its sugar contents… Diabetes runs in the family you see. Please advise me on what to do.
Congrats on taking steps to prevent diabetes instead of waiting until it’s too late – like so many people do.
You don’t need to worry about the sugar in fruit, as it is simple, natural sugar that breaks down more slowly in the body opposed to table sugar.
Just eat proper portions and within your BMR range, and you’ll be fine.
- Lean deli meats (turkey, chicken, ham, roast beef, etc…)
- Meat alternatives (quorn, eggs, nuts, peanut butter, etc…)
- Lowfat dairy (skim- 1% milk, lowfat yoghurt, cottage cheese, 2oz of cheese, cheese string, light laughing cow cheese, light cream cheese)
- Wheat pasta with tomatoe sauce (not cream sauces)
- Soups (vegetable/ broth based- not cream)
- Wheat/ Grain bread/ wholegrain crackers
- Wholegrain/ fiber cearel- granola
- Brown rice
- Oatmeal
- 250mL juice, 1/4 cup of dried fruit, 1 medium fruit, 1/2 cup of berries, etc…
- Vegetables and dip
- 100 calorie snack packages
- Hummus and flatbread
- Baked beans
- Grilled chicken
- Sweet potatoes
- Spices
- Margerine/ becel
- Trail mix (1/2 cup cearel, 1/4 cup dried fruit, 1/4 cup nuts)
- Granola bars- nature valley, fiber one, all bran, quaker, etc…
As a whole plant vegan who avoids refined carbohydrates, I find a previous recommendation misleading and inaccurate. Animal protein and fats are unhealthy and lead to cancers, diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. Read a book called “The China Study” for details. Here is how I’d breakdown the foods:
UNHEALTHY:
- Margarine, oils, fats, lard, dressings.
- Refined carbohydrates, white breads, white pasta
- Sugar, high fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners, honey
- Baloney, hot dogs, deli meats.
- Lean deli meats (turkey, chicken, ham, roast beef, etc…)
- Meat alternatives (eggs, nuts, peanut butter, etc…) In particular peanut butter can be contaminated with a common carcinogen known to cause liver cancers. Although rare in the US, it’s not uncommon in other countries.
- Low-fat dairy (skim- 1% milk, low-fat yogurt, cottage cheese, 2oz of cheese, cheese string, light laughing cow cheese, light cream cheese) Dairy is very dangerous and not required for a healthy diet.
- REFINED Wheat pasta with tomato sauce (not cream sauces)
- COMMERCIAL Soups (vegetable/ broth based- not cream)
- COMMERCIAL Wheat/ Grain bread/ wholegrain crackers
- Wholegrain/ fiber cereal- granola
- QUICK OR INSTANT Oatmeal
- Canned baked beans (in syrup)
- Grilled chicken or other grilled meats
HEALTHY FOODS:
+ Leafy Green Vegetables (instead of dairy)
+ Legumes
+ Brown rice or whole grains (unrefined)
+ Dried fruit, whole fruit, berries, etc…
+ Whole vegetables WITHOUT COMMERCIAL DIP
+ A limited quantity of seeds and nuts.
+ An omega-3 source and B-12 vitamins.
+ Get sunshine or buy vitamin D, but don’t exceed recommendations on this.
Eat smaller portions. This way, your body starts to increase its metabolism so that calories are burned faster. Also, small meals can prevent overeating.
Stop eating just when you feel you are not as hungry, don’t keep on eating till you feel full