Do you struggle with constant hunger pangs and want to know how to feel fuller for longer to stop you eating extra calories to help you lose weight? Well, the answer is pretty simple – eat foods high in fibre!
Fibre doesn’t just keep you feeling fuller for longer but it keeps your bowels healthy and can help reduce cholesterol. Most people in the UK eat only about 18g of fibre a day, but should aim to eat at least 30g.
Therefore, this week’s top tip to help your diet be a success this year is to increase your intake of foods high in fibre.
To make it more simple for you to increase the amount of fibre in your diet we have broken down what fibre full foods you should be eating at each of your meals to help with your weight loss:
Breakfast: Adding some fibre to your breakfast will help you stay feeling full until lunch and reduce the urge for midmorning snacking.
- Swap white bread for wholemeal or wholegrain varieties.
- Swap sugary cereals for high-fibre cereals such as wholegrain wheat cereals, unsweetened muesli, or porridge oats (don’t forget to check the salt content).
- Add a banana or a hand full of raspberries to your breakfast to not only boost your 5 a day but to increase your fibre intake for breakfast.
Lunch and dinner:
- Vegetables are a good source of fibre, so try aiming for two portions of veg on your plate at dinner. Fibre full vegetables include carrots, beets, and broccoli.
- Swap white pasta and rice for wholemeal versions – simply doing this can double the amount of fibre you’re eating.
- Add pulses (beans, lentils and peas) into your meals. They’re a cheap, low-fat source of fibre, protein, vitamins and minerals. Add pulses to soups, casseroles, rice and pasta, or serve baked beans (choose reduced-salt and sugar varieties) on wholemeal toast.
Snacks: If you really are craving a snack make sure you have a healthier and fibre filled snack. Stock up on healthier snacks containing fibre such as:
- Fruit – fresh, canned or frozen. Don’t forget to eat the skin on fruits such as apples and pears.
- Veg sticks – carrot, celery or cucumber sticks or a packet of sugar snap peas.
- Reduced-fat hummus. For a bit of variety, dip your veg sticks, wholegrain crispbreads or wholemeal pitta bread in a tub of reduced-fat hummus. You’ll get the fibre from both the veg and the bread – double whammy!
- Air-popped, plain popcorn.
You can download a FREE food diary here to help you keep track of the foods you are eating.
The Slimming Clinic offer free weight loss consultations with a doctor to help you lose weight and live a healthier lifestyle. To book please call 08009179334.