Eating well deliciously!
A version of this article originally appeared on HVMN The ketogenic diet and intermittent fasting have more in common than you may believe. When combining the two practices, they may be able to synergistically work together toward common goals of fat loss and improved metabolic Read more
In my weight loss journey, I have tried several diets and meal plans in my efforts to lose weight. Out of all the diets, I have tried, the only one that works and that I can easily sustain is the low-carb diet. I came Read more
As long as we are eating the right kinds, food is the cure for much of what ails us health-wise. When it comes to losing weight, we might feel that eating less food will help us in our quest. However, not eating enough is as much a culprit in us gaining weight as is eating too much.
To lose weight safely and effectively, we have to use the right foods in a balanced way. For this post, I’ll focus on some of the best foods for weight loss available to anyone seeking to lose weight or to enhance their general well-being. These are foods that are easy to acquire from any well-stocked supermarket or if you prefer, you can purchase online and have them delivered to your home.
Avocados saved me during my stint with the keto diet and it continues to aid my weight loss goals today and every day. Avocados are among the best foods for weight loss for several reasons a few of which I’ll discuss here. First of all, what exactly is an avocado?
The avocado is a fruit distinguished by its pear-like shape and hard brittle skin that covers pale green, firm, and fatty flesh. Avocados also have a large pit or seed firmly ensconced in the middle of the fruit. There are several varieties, shapes, and sizes of avocados including the well-known Haas avocado.
Avocados are usually purchased while still green and will ripen at home within a few days of purchase. This makes it the perfect portable food for any course or occasion. The taste of avocados can be described as neutrally herbal and its texture is smooth and creamy. Avocados are also versatile and can be used as an ingredient in dessert as well as savory applications. Of course, it’s also perfect by itself!
Here are some of the reasons that avocados are among the best foods for weight loss:
Pros
Cons
Just eating one medium or large avocado along with a bit of protein will keep you feeling full for hours without compromising your way of eating – especially if you’re doing a keto or low-carb diet. This makes it a perfect addition to your weight-loss food arsenal.
Like avocados, there are lots of types of fish available for our consumption. However, some fish are better than others when it comes to our health and helping us lose weight. This largely depends on the type of fish and the conditions in which they are caught.
In my opinion, it is best to eat fish that are wild-caught but some farmed varieties are okay to consume depending on where they are farmed and the aquaculture practices employed by the fish farm. When purchasing wild-caught fish, make sure you are buying sustainable fish (not over-fished), fish that are low in mercury, and fish that have a good layer of fat. Among my favorite fish for weight loss:
Eating these varieties of fish when on a weight loss regimen gives you a two-fold advantage: a great source of healthy, lean protein paired with delicious flavor. Salmon and Kingfish are especially appetizing and codfish is the perfect vehicle for spices and seasonings.
Incorporating fish into your way of eating will help you to lose or maintain a healthy weight. Explore to find the types you enjoy making sure to stay away from varieties like king mackerel, swordfish, shark, and yellowfin tuna which contain high levels of mercury.
Cruciferous vegetables include cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, bok-choy, brussels sprouts, and similar green leafy vegetables. I’ll be the first to admit that these vegetables are not beloved by a lot of people because some of them can be bitter and tough in texture. Broccoli and Brussels sprouts tend to be the most hated among the cruciferous vegetables, even a former American President (Bush the First) publicly expressed his dislike for broccoli!
Cruciferous vegetables are among some of the best foods for weight loss and general good health for a variety of reasons including the following:
Incorporating two or three cups of cruciferous vegetables into your daily diet will help you lose weight by keeping you fuller for longer while fueling your body with powerful, anti-inflammatory nutrients. You can make cruciferous vegetables more palatable by using different cooking methods to bring out their roasty sweetness. For example, cook Brussels sprouts by cutting them in half and tossing them in a bit of olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Roast in the oven at 400 degrees for 30 minutes and enjoy.
You’ll notice that there is great diversity among the foods that I have mentioned thus far, and nuts and seeds are no exception. According to Wikipedia, “a nut is a fruit composed of an inedible hard shell and a seed, which is generally edible. In general usage, a wide variety of dried seeds are called nuts, but in a botanical context “nut” implies that the shell does not open to release the seed.” Some of the more common or familiar varieties of nuts and seeds include:
Nuts and seeds are nutrient-dense, containing high levels of fats and other essential vitamins and minerals like vitamin E, vitamin B, calcium, zinc, and potassium as well as antioxidants like selenium, copper, and manganese.
Nuts and seeds are also high in fiber. The combination of high fat and high fiber makes nuts and seeds great for weight loss, especially if you’re following the keto diet where high-fat consumption is required. Because they are so high in fat, it is only recommended to eat a handful of nuts and seeds every day.
There you have it, the best foods for weight loss. By adding these foods to your diet and following a sensible eating plan you too can achieve your ideal weight goals as well as greatly enhance your health. Continue to eat these and other clean (unprocessed) foods and you will attain optimal health.
So do you enjoy any of these foods? Let me know in the comments! Until next time: Happy Eating!
If you’ve been following along with this blog, you know that I’ve been on all sorts of diets and eating plans to lose weight. Over time, I’ve learned that my body type responds most effectively to low-carb diets. Low-carb diets like Atkins and Keto are Read more
I’ve been cooking ever since I was about twelve years old. It was the expectation for a young girl in my Caribbean culture to learn about food and how to cook it. It was a useful chore that fed my family each evening on school Read more
It’s been a minute since I’ve posted any recipes for this blog so today I’m going to discuss one of my favorite and versatile foods, the flatbread. There are many types of flatbread (also known as tortillas) and they may be leavened or unleavened depending on the cuisine and ingredients used. This variety is useful for creating flatbreads that are tasty and suitable for various ways of eating.
In this post, I’ll share flatbread recipes that are suitable for different diets like keto, paleo, gluten-free, nut-free, etc. There will be something for everyone, guaranteed. Before I continue, however, I must make clear that some of these flatbread recipes will produce flatbread or tortillas of various textures and fold-ability.
For example, the gluten-free version will be more brittle and not fold easily or as well as the einkorn version. Outcomes and textures depend on the flour base used to create the flatbread. The ultimate goal is to create a delicious flatbread and I believe I have with these recipes. I’ll begin the list with my favorite recipe that is easy, all-purpose, and yummy the einkorn tortilla.
Einkorn Flour is the most ancient grain of wheat that is non-GMO and has never been hybridized. This means it has less of the proteins (like gluten) found in modern hybridized wheat that cause allergies, intolerances, and inflammatory diseases like celiac.
Einkorn flour is highly nutritious, containing high levels of protein, fiber, vitamins, phosphorus, and iron. Anything made with this wonderful flour comes out a lovely golden yellow due to the high levels of carotenoids found in Einkorn wheat berries. Moreover, flatbread, rolls, and bread come out with a delicate, soft crumb that is absolutely delicious!
This Einkorn Flour Tortilla recipe couldn’t be simpler: All you need is Einkorn flour, vegan spread (or butter), water, and optional salt. You can find the complete recipe here:
Pro-tip: if you don’t have a tortilla press, just cut the zipper off a Ziploc bag and cut down the sides. Place a tortilla ball in between the open sides of the bag and press down in the middle with a bowl. Alternatively, you can use the bowl to press the dough ball between two squares of parchment paper. Voila! Tortillas!
This recipe for keto flatbread is made with my version of the THM Baking Blend. This flatbread is very quick and easy to make because it’s made with a few simple ingredients that are low-carb and won’t wreck your progress. I made this flatbread almost every week of the month when I was exclusively keto and it really saved my diet and my sanity.
To make this quick keto flatbread you’ll need the THM Baking Blend I discuss in my article on low-carb flour substitutes, avocado oil, baking powder, and water. That’s it! Combine these ingredients into a dough, form and roll out four flatbreads, and fry on a medium-hot skillet. You can check out the full recipe and directions here:
Even though it looks fragile, this keto flatbread holds up well with whatever you choose all for only 2 g carbs per serving!
These days, many people are turning to gluten-free grains, flour, and baked goods. Some people do this out of necessity because they’re gluten-intolerant or they have Celiac disease. Other people are choosing to go gluten-free because they think eating less gluten will be beneficial for their health. Whatever the reason for going gluten-free, it’s essential that people find a suitable all-purpose gluten-free flour.
I sometimes bake and cook for my vegan cousin who’s a fitness trainer and follows a very austere eating regimen. He recently requested gluten-free tortillas and I went on the hunt for a suitable flour. After trial and error with various grain-free flour mixes, I settled upon the King Arthur all-purpose gluten-free flour. This gluten-free flour when used with a bit of xanthan gum, makes tasty breads, scones, cakes, and tortillas.
I ended up creating a gluten-free flatbread for him using King Arthur gluten-free flour with a bit of almond flour. You can see the recipe here:
This gluten-free tortilla does not quite have the same texture as a regular tortilla made with wheat flour, but it holds its own as a vehicle for delicious fillings and toppings.
The paleo diet is the most stringent way of eating when it comes to bread or anything resembling bread. Paleo encourages the dieter to eat meat, fish, eggs, nuts, seeds, vegetables, and healthy oils; however, processed foods, grains, or sugar are not allowed.
As you can imagine cutting bread out of our diet is very challenging for many of us. Think about it, we eat grains for almost every meal – cereal or toast for breakfast, rice or a wrap for lunch, and pasta or pizza for dinner. Grains are everywhere! These factors made following the paleo diet very difficult for me personally.
As always, I searched for ways to circumvent the no-grain rule and create a palatable bread substitute. I turned to flatbread instead of loaf bread because it’s such an all-purpose food. I can make wraps, quesadillas, and desserts using flatbread as the base. To create my paleo flatbread, I had to use ingredients that were permissible on the diet. I came up with this recipe:
I love the simplicity of this recipe. It’s easy to make with easily available ingredients and it holds up well to any topping.
I love making flatbread. They are quick and easy to make and I can enjoy them with any meal. Flatbreads are so versatile, they can be used for any course like breakfast burrito wraps, or to sop up stews/curries and even make a savory quesadilla or dessert chocolate roll-up! The possibilities are limited only to your imagination.
I hope I’ve proven with these flatbread recipes that you can still enjoy flatbread and tortillas while on a keto, paleo, or gluten-free diet. Do you like flatbread? What’s, your favorite? Let me know in the comments. Until then: Happy Eating!