Doctors Agree: Why People Who Forget To Add This Food To Their Diet Struggle To Lose Weight

Vegetables

Wan Na starts off by quickly listing the key benefits of vegetables: "Vegetables are low in calories, high in fiber, and packed with essential vitamins and minerals. They are also rich in antioxidants, which can help reduce inflammation and support overall health." You won't need to worry about high calorie intake when choosing your favorite vegetables for your weight loss goals; that's hard to say for protein and carbohydrates.

"The omission of vegetables from one's diet can hinder weight loss efforts in several ways. Firstly, vegetables are low in calories but high in volume, which means they can help create a sense of fullness and reduce over calorie intake. Without including vegetables, one may be more likely to consume calorie-dense foods that can hinder weight loss," Wan Na says.

Most vegetables provide us with the essential nutrients our bodies need in order to support our overall wellness, such as digestion, weight management, and lowering our chances of various chronic diseases. And since there are so many options to choose from, it shouldn't be hard until you find your favorite go-to vegetables.

Wan Na notes that "vegetables are also rich in vitamins and minerals that promote general well-being. Their high water content can contribute to hydration and aid in proper digestion. Moreover, the fiber in vegetables supports digestive health, regulates blood sugar levels, and may even help lower cholesterol."

Vegetable-Based Meals

With the endless options of vegetables we have available to us, Wan Na gives us a list of recommendations you can start trying to slowly incorporate more vegetables into your weight loss plan and see which ones you like in terms of taste and benefits. "One can try adding vegetables to smoothies for an extra nutritional boost, making veggie-packed omelets or frittatas, using lettuce wraps instead of bread or tortillas for sandwiches or wraps, and experimenting with spiralized vegetables as a pasta substitute." All these ideas are definitely worth trying!

As always, you can try to incorporate your vegetables as side dishes by roasting, grilling, or baking them. Salads and soups, another popular choice, don't have to be boring and can be recreated using a mix of vegetables you've never tried before. See what kind of creation you can come up with (ps: adding fruits like peaches and strawberries to your salads will elevate your overall salad experience, too).