Healthy Weight Loss

Add These Fat Burning Foods To Your Diet

If you are looking for some foods to eat to lose weight and are tired of the same selection over and over, you are not alone.  Healthy weight loss does not have to be boring and you do not have to be locked into a set group of foods you eat over and over until boredom sets in. Red and yellow vegetables can be added to your diet in addition to the standard leafy greens.  Whole grains like brown rice are also beneficial, but they are not the only grains to choose from.  Here are a few alternatives to your healthy weight loss diet that will perk up your food selections.

Kale

Low in calories and high in nutrients, the leaves of the kale plant are sweet when they are in season, which is from mid winter to beginning of spring.  Kale is very easy to grow in your garden and is a good source of calcium, Vitamins C, K, and B6, manganese, carotenoids, fiber, and riboflavin.

Bok Choy

Anyone who eats Chinese food is already familiar with bok choy but probably has confused it with its cousin, celery.  Best when bought in the fall and winter, it has a mild taste and is versatile enough to use in a variety of diet recipes.  A great source of calcium, vitamin A, and vitamin C, bok choy can be eaten raw or cooked.  The entire vegetable is edible.

Amaranth

Both a vegetable and a grain, amaranth is easily found in natural food stores.  The leaves of the plant are considered the vegetable part of the plant and the seeds are the grain, which can be cooked as a cereal, toasted, sprouted, or even popped as an alternative to popcorn. Amaranth provides you with calcium, iron, and protein, and the seed can be ground into a flour to be mixed one part amaranth to three to four parts grain flour when used for yeast breads.  Otherwise it can be used at 100% for flatbreads, pancakes, and other non-yeast baked goods.  It’s also a great – and healthy – thickening agent for stew and soup.

Spelt

Spelt is a cousin to wheat with a slightly nutty flavor and in many cases it is used in place of wheat in recipes for people who have wheat intolerance. It comes in flour form, and hulled, whole grain form – spelt berries – and can be prepared in a similar fashion to rice.  Spelt is rich in vitamin B2 and manganese and makes a healthy alternative to regular white or whole grain wheat bread.

Quinoa

Quinoa is considered a grain, but it is related to Swiss chard and spinach, both leafy greens.  It has been the staple of Peruvian and Chilean diets for over 5,000 years and has a very mild flavor.  Quinoa has 700% more iron than enriched white rice, is a good source of calcium, and is full of protein. It’s a great alternative to rice in a variety of dishes including hot cereals.

Barley

A great source of fiber and selenium, barley has been used in cooking and meals for over 10,000 years.  It’s been used as a cereal grain for centuries and has pasta like consistency.  With its nutty flavor, barley also provides you with phosphorous, manganese and copper.