When you’re working to lose weight, sometimes there are foods with certain textures, flavors, or consistencies that you find harder and harder to resist.
For many, a craving for certain creamy foods can occur during a weight loss journey, from ice cream to more savory creamy snacks like dip. It’s understandable, given that most creamy treats or snacks are associated with being indulgent or fattening.
However, health experts have pointed out that there are several different kinds of decadent food items and ingredients that can help satiate your cravings and make your healthy meals a bit richer. Read more about six of them below.
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1. Cottage Cheese
Cottage cheese has made quite an impressive comeback over the last few years. For a while, people were sick of it, as it was labeled as an overused 'diet culture' food for decades. But now, health experts and home cooks have shared more experimental recipes involving cottage cheese, as it can add a creamy element to sweet or savory dishes.
Registered dietitian Julia Zumpano, RD, LD, told the Cleveland Clinic that cottage cheese is an excellent food for weight loss as it's "low in calories while providing protein and vital nutrients."
Eating a diet rich in protein is known to aid weight loss as it can help curb your appetite over time and contribute to muscle growth. If you're not big on the texture, blending cottage cheese and adding it to dishes like buffalo chicken dip or a sweet fruit dip will give you all the creamy indulgence you want for fewer calories.
2. Tahini
If you don't know what tahini is, it's a creamy paste made from ground sesame seeds. One of the most popular uses of tahini is for making hummus, but it can also be found in tasty salad dressings and other Mediterranean foods.
According to registered dietitian SaVanna Shoemaker, MS, RDN, LD, there are several benefits to eating tahini, as it's rich in antioxidants, contains anti-inflammatory compounds, and more.
"Consuming sesame seeds may decrease your risk of certain conditions, such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease," wrote Shoemaker for Healthline.
"Doing so may also lower your risk factors for heart disease, including high cholesterol and triglyceride levels."
If you find a jar of tahini at your local grocery store, you can use it to make your own hummus or even add it to sweet and salty desserts for extra health benefits.
3. Greek Yogurt
Greek yogurt has been a fan-favorite weight loss food item in the health world for years. It's known for being very high in protein and, like cottage cheese, can add a super neutral, creamy taste and texture to various kinds of dishes.
"Greek yogurt is a nutritional powerhouse packed with protein and probiotics," explained a registered nutritionist and dietitian, Krutika Nanavati.
"These beneficial components work together to enhance gut health and boost metabolism, leading to weight loss and a reduction in stubborn belly fat."
One of the best ways to bump up the creaminess factor in some of your weight loss recipes is to use Greek yogurt how you would sour cream, adding a dab of it to sweeter or spicier dishes.
4. Avocados
When people often think of creamy foods, sometimes their mind goes straight to creamy, sweet treats and sugary, more processed ingredients. Therefore, they overlook the creaminess avocados can add to specific recipes, even sweet ones.
Registered dietitian Emmie Satrazemis, RD, CSSD, wrote in her article, "4 Reasons To Eat Avocados Every Day," that avocados "are a nutritious, whole food that can support both your weight loss or healthy weight gain goals."
"They are loaded with fiber, healthy fat, and essential vitamins and minerals that make them one of the best foods you can eat," she continued.
Some health-focused cooks have added mashed avocados into low-calorie dessert recipes that you can try, or you can simply enjoy classic avocado-based recipes like avocado toast or guacamole while focusing on losing weight.
5. Silken Tofu
There's a good chance you've heard of tofu or have even cooked with it before. But what about silken tofu?
Silken tofu is made with soy milk but isn't pressed like regular tofu, which gives it a much softer, creamier texture. The plus side of silken tofu is that it can be used in different ways than stiffer tofu, as it's easily blendable, and the flavor can be masked with other ingredients.
According to holistic dietitian Ramya B., silken tofu is a low-calorie food that can "allow you to eat a good amount of portions without consuming calories in excess."
6. Almond Butter
If you love the creamy, nutty taste of store-bought peanut butter, you may want to consider swapping it for almond butter. While there's nothing wrong with natural peanut butter made from peanuts and salt, some health experts have noted that almond butter is an extra beneficial food for weight loss.
In her article for Signos, Sarah Bullard, MS, RD, LD, wrote that almond butter is "packed with heart-healthy fats, plant-based protein, fiber, and vital vitamins and minerals like vitamin E and magnesium."
"Almond butter supports heart health, blood sugar stability, weight management, and brain function," she added.
Putting a serving of almond butter in your smoothies or simply drizzling it over a piece of toast can easily satisfy a craving for something that tastes a little more indulgent and rich.
Which of these creamy ingredients are you going to try cooking with first?
