Eating a balanced and nutritious diet is the key to maintaining (or reaching) a healthy weight. Food is the fuel that keeps us going throughout the day and causes us to lose (or pack on) those stubborn extra pounds.
There are some food combinations that often work together to kick start your metabolism and may help prevent your body from storing calories as fat. Here are some food combinations you may want to consider if you’re trying to eat a nutritious diet.
1) Eggs & Vegetables
Eggs are one of the best foods to eat if you’re trying to lose weight. They are low in calories, high in good fats, and packed with vitamins and nutrients that your body needs to stay healthy. When you combine eggs with certain vegetables, you make this food even better for you.
Some vegetables to add are bell peppers, spinach, and jalapeños, but just about any vegetable will do. This is an easy way to get your vegetable servings for the day, especially if you aren’t a big fan of veggies in general.
2) Chicken & Red Pepper
Chicken is a very lean protein that is great for its versatility. No matter how you choose to prepare it, there are a variety of ways to incorporate chicken into a nutritious dish. One way is to serve the chicken with red pepper.
Red pepper increases our core temperature, which can cause us to burn more calories faster. It’s the capsaicin found in spicy foods that is responsible for these extra calories burned.
Any spicy peppers are great to incorporate in your diet if you’re looking to lose weight. And chicken breasts are a little leaner, so go for white meat when you can.
3) Green Tea & Lemon Juice
One of the best drinks for weight loss is green tea. Unfortunately, some people don’t care for the taste, so they add sugar or other sweeteners that negate this tea’s weight loss properties. Adding lemon can help with that.
Lemon juice gives the tea a milder flavor that is more agreeable to many people. You can buy a fresh lemon to squeeze into your tea or just buy unsweetened lemon juice.
4) Salmon & Asparagus
Salmon is rich in omega-3 fatty acids that are great for losing weight and great for heart health. The best salmon is wild caught, but farm-raised salmon is an acceptable alternative.
This protein pairs nicely with asparagus, a fiber-rich vegetable that will help clear your body of excess water weight. If you’re looking to lose weight quickly for a special event, this is a dish that might be able to help you shed a few pounds quickly.
5) Almonds & Greek Yogurt
One of the most difficult parts of losing weight is picking nutritious and filling snacks. Fortunately, almonds and Greek yogurt can make for a great option between meals.
Vitamins A, D, and E from the almonds are easily absorbed by the body thanks to the fat found in the Greek yogurt. This snack is very good for your body while keeping your hunger satisfied until the next meal.