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Creating a healthy diet for weight loss can often feel like a daunting task, especially when it comes time each week to hit the grocery store. Surrounded by an array of foods to choose from it can be difficult to determine which ones you should be adding to your cart, and which are better left on the shelf as you work towards the healthiest version of yourself. Realistically, most of your favorite foods can fit within your diet even if you’re aiming for weight loss, so long as they’re consumed in moderation. However, there are some foods which may seem innocuous but are actually making it more difficult to achieve long lasting weight loss results.
According to nutritionist Lisa Richards, you may want to evaluate the staples you’ve been eating regularly because there’s one pre-packaged item which could be flying under the radar and ultimately making it more difficult to create a filling diet for weight loss.
Tortilla Wraps
Carbohydrates are one of the essential macronutrients that should be included in every eating plan, regardless of your goals. While they often get a bad rap for being higher in calories than more protein-rich foods, carbs are actually the primary source of energy that your body depends on to stay fueled throughout the day, and eating healthy carbs such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains can actually bring you one step closer to weight loss without depriving yourself. However, tortillas, although popular for making a variety of wraps and quesadillas, are not necessarily the carb source you should be turning to daily for the best results.
“Wraps have become a go-to meal and menu item for those wanting to lose weight, however this may be the thing that is keeping you from reaching your goals. This pre-packaged food item has a high caloric density and depending on the type provides little in the way of beneficial weight loss nutrients,” warns Richards.
Replacing other carbs such as white bread or bagels with wraps may seem like a simple solution for cutting corners and achieving weight loss more quickly, tortillas can be just as calorically-dense and processed as other white carbs. Refined carbohydrates are ultimately best avoided when it comes to losing weight because they’re loaded with artificial ingredients and stripped of fiber and other nutrients that support a healthy lifestyle, and tortillas are no exception.
If you find yourself veering towards wraps which advertise less ingredients, touting this as a health benefit, it’s important to read between the lines of what this really means. “Wraps advertise their health qualities and being made from fewer ingredients, but what has failed to be mentioned is the enriched flour and vegetable oils used in the formulation,” explains Richards. “These are both highly inflammatory ingredients, which are high in calories and can disrupt the body's calorie burning capabilities making metabolism slower and weight loss difficult.”
Foods that claim to be useful for weight loss are often not being entirely transparent with the quality of the ingredients they’re using, so it’s worth remembering that if your carbs are being made from white flour, regardless of how many other items are included, it’s likely devoid of much benefit to your body.
That being said, not all wraps are created equal, and those made of whole grains and wheat are richer in fiber and other vitamins and nutrients which provide more benefit to your body. Whole grains are a fantastic addition to your diet for weight loss as the fiber content will naturally help to keep you full for longer after eating, slowing digestion and making it easier to limit overeating in the future.
This is a much more sustainable approach to ‘saving calories’ than cutting out major food groups and depriving your body of the essential nutrients it needs to survive in the name of weight loss. However, Richards notes that if you are looking to cut down on the caloric density of your meal and would like to include more veggies in your diet, lettuce wraps are another healthy option to consider as it eliminates refined carbs and fat from your meal.
Healthy weight loss does not come from eliminating one specific food from your diet, but making the swap from refined carbs such as white flour wraps to whole grains wraps can help increase satiety and fuel your body for a better day, making it easier to achieve your goals.
Especially if you’re going hard in the gym it’s important to fill your diet with foods that will fuel you with much needed energy, and in eating white flour wraps you will likely find yourself hungry shortly after eating, so making a mindful switch for more nutritious foods will make all the difference in halting snacking and providing you with more fuel throughout your day.
