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We like to think positively about food. So instead of brooding over all the things we shouldn’t eat, we focus on all of the delicious foods that keep us healthy. That includes carbohydrates. Everyone needs carbohydrates in their diets. In fact, the right ones will actually help you slim down the extra weight in your middle rather than pack in on. So let’s think about adding more “good” carbs to our diets in an effort to help reduce and prevent body fat. Good carbs, also known as slow carbs, are rich in fiber so they release energy into the blood stream slowly and help you avoid spikes in insulin and blood sugar. The fiber keeps you feeling fuller longer so you don’t go town on snacks between meals.
Sweet Potatoes
Here’s a peek at our Sunday night routine: We slice a half dozen sweet potatoes into thick wedges, lightly dress them with EVOO, salt and pepper, and then bake them on high followed by a quick stint under the broiler. Now you have an already cooked, healthy carb to weave into meals all week. “These slow carbs are versatile, naturally sweet and our bodies digest them slowly,” Andrea Wise, a Chicago-based trainer and nutrition coach. Add a dash of oregano and use the slices for salads, protein bowls or a simple side dish. Sprinkle on a dash of cinnamon and you have a great add-in for smoothies, oatmeal and eggs.
Steel-Cut Oatmeal
You could make oatmeal for breakfast every day for a week and not repeat ingredients. There is so much to do with a bowl of oats. Not only does this blank canvas of good carbs have protein, it also has soluble fiber to keep you feeling full for longer (maybe even full enough to nix a mid-morning snack). Make sure you choose steel-cut oats over rolled or instant. They’re not pre-cooked and are processed in a manner that helps them maintain more fiber and protein than other versions. Plus the hearty, chewy feel of steel-cut oats helps you to slow down breakfast and feel full. Try soaking steel-cut oats overnight in almond milk (put it in the fridge, obv). Add cinnamon and ground flax seeds for an anti-inflammatory and omega-3 boost. Use green tea to prep oats and top with berries. Soak them in chocolate cashew milk and mix in coconut flakes. There are so many choices!
Fruits
If you want to modify your diet and scale back on carbs, it’s important that the carbs you do keep eating are nutrient dense. And a healthy diet def includes naturally low-carb foods like fruit. Add them to meals throughout the day and use them for naturally sweet snacks. Berries have the highest amount of fiber and the lowest amount of sugar of all the fruits. Go heavy on raspberries and blackberries. They have the highest fiber content of all berries. Melons, specifically watermelon and honeydew, rank as some of the lowest carbs per serving, says Rebecca Lewis, a dietician at HelloFresh. Plus they have the highest water content of all melons to keep your body hydrated and feeling satisfied.
Quinoa
If quinoa were a super hero, its super power would be to go slow. It reduces belly fat and takes inches off the waist because it’s absorbed into the blood stream at a slower pace then “bad” carbs like white pasta. “Quinoa is one of the healthiest carbs,” says Jessica Rosen, a holistic health coach and founder of Raw Generation. Why? It’s gluten-free, high in fiber, packed with antioxidants, and is full of nutrients like iron, zinc and magnesium, and is a low-calorie protein. "Unlike most high-carbohydrate grains, quinoa sustains the appetite without skyrocketing blood glucose levels,” says Rosen. “It actually lowers blood glucose levels which is significant for healthy weight loss because excess glucose gets stored as fat in the body.” We love that quinoa takes on multitude of flavors so it’s incredibly versatile for breakfast (add it to oatmeal), lunch (quinoa makes a salad feel hearty) and dinner (stuff it into red peppers with ground turkey and cheddar cheese).
Whole Grains
“Fiber helps to boost metabolism,” says Brooke Zigler, a registered dietician in Austin, Texas. “Your body has a tough time digesting high fiber foods which means you burn calories while trying to get the job done,” she says. Plus, all of that fiber in your belly is playing interference with fat and calories. It actually absorbs calories and fat from other foods before your body is able to absorb the enemies. Boom. Weight loss. A prime way to eat fiber is through whole grains like brown rice, barley and bulgur, which are also low in carbs. Refined carbs like the ones in your favorite pastas have little nutritional value. This can cause a rise and fall in your blood sugar, which then drives you to search out more unhealthy foods and eat them ravenously. Always choose whole-grain varieties labeled “100% whole grain” or “100% whole wheat”. Then check the ingredient list to verify that enriched, refined flour is not the first ingredient.
