Here are a few fiber-filled favorites to try that have many nutritional benefits as well as great taste:
- Spinach and dark green leafy vegetables are naturally low in calories and fill you up with their fiber content and their crunch factor.Plus because they take longer to eat your brain has time to register fullness before you've had time to load up on calories.Green leafy vegetables also contain many plant nutrients, antioxidants, and B-complex vitamins, which help to prevent cancer, heart disease, and degenerative neurological diseases.
- Tomatoes are unique in their ability to produce an amino acid called carnitine.This amino acid increases your body's basal metabolic rate, causing your body to burn fat at a faster rate.Any and all tomato products, from ketchup to tomato sauce,are great for your weight-reducing diet.Tomatoes also contain abundant amounts of vitamin C and an antioxidant called lycopene, which helps to prevent several types of cancer,including breast and prostate cancers.The combination of vitamin C and lycopene also helps to prevent the buildup of cholesterol in your bloodstream.
- Beans have a high fiber content that helps to reduce the absorption of both fat and calories from the intestinal tract, not to mention the fact that they help reduce your appetite by filing you up on fewer calories. Beans are also high in potassium and low in sodium, which helps to reduce the risk of high blood pressure and strokes.
- Sweet potatoes are, contrary to popular belief, excellent sources of vitamins and minerals and are considered good carbs. They are a great addition to any weight-loss program because of their high fiber content and their nutritional value. Sweet potatoes are good sources of vitamin C, B-complex vitamins, folic acid, potassium, vitamin A, and beta-carotene. These nutrients, combined with plant sterols found in sweet potatoes, are powerful antioxidants, which can help to lower cholesterol and lower your risk of heart disease. When sweet potatoes are eaten with their skin, they are a good source of both insoluble and soluble fiber.
- Asparagus is an excellent source of potassium, folic acid, beta-carotene, vitamin C, and the antioxidant glutathione, which helps to fight nasty free radicals, which can damage normal cells. Asparagus is a great addition to any diet program, since it is low in calories and high in fiber and nutrients. Steamed asparagus is great eaten alone or in a salad. Leftovers must be refrigerated or frozen quickly, however, to prevent the loss of nutritional value. Asparagus should be lightly steamed or roasted. If boiled too long, most of the nutrients end up in the water.
- Peppers, including red, green, and yellow sweet peppers, are excellent sources of vitamin C, vitamin A, beta-carotene, B-complex vitamins, potassium, and folic acid. They are low in calories and high in fiber, so peppers are excellent foods to add to your weight-loss program. Because they are so flavorful, peppers satisfy your taste buds and help reduce your appetite. Pepper contain antioxidants, which help to prevent blood clots, thereby helping to prevent heart attacks and strokes. Hot peppers have higher quantities of antioxidants than sweet peppers, as well as phytonutrients that assist in preventing certain forms of cancer. Hot peppers contain an ingredient, capsaicin, that not only makes them hot and spicy but gives them anti-inflammatory properties that help to relieve the pain of various forms of arthritis and nerve inflammations.