While boosting your metabolism and losing weight healthily can’t happen overnight, creating a consistent, gut-healthy diet for yourself can instantly improve your energy, mood and overall wellbeing in a short period of time. Want to make a healthy dish and need two easy ideas to start? We’ve got you covered.
We reached out to registered dietitians, nutritionists and other health experts for two ingredients that promote smoother digestion and can greatly aid your health journey when added to a balanced dinner meal. Read on for tips, suggestions and insight from Dana Ellis Hunnes, PhD, MPH, RD, senior dietitian at UCLA Medical Center and Trista Best, MPH, RD, LD, registered dietitian at Balance One Supplements.
READ MORE: How To Boost Your Metabolism Over 50, According To Experts
2 Timeless Metabolism-Boosting Dinner Ingredients
1. Whole Grains
When preparing a healthy dinner, one surefire way to add more fiber and protein to your meal is to center your dish around whole grains as a prime ingredient, Hunnes explains. "The foods that most often contribute to anti-inflammation are whole, plant-based foods such as whole grains, nuts, seeds, legumes, fruits and vegetables," she says. Adding more of these to your diet as an easy first step, Hunnes says, can help you notice an immediate difference in energy.
To boost your metabolism, preventing inflammation and prioritizing your gut health is key, she points out. Eating more whole grains, she stresses, helps since they "contain a combination of soluble fiber which attracts water, and insoluble fiber, which helps with motility and regularity." From quinoa to brown rice to barley, the possibilities to add whole grains to your dinner this week are endless!
2. Leafy Greens
Dark leafy greens such as spinach are "packed with weight loss and metabolism-boosting nutrients and can be easily added to many recipes," Best notes. Whether you're craving pasta, rice, or a salad, incorporating more leafy greens into your dinner will always help when it comes to making your dish healthier.
"When these nutrients are heated with water they become active in such a way that the body absorbs them more easily," she advises. This, Best adds, allows the consumer to take in weight loss friendly nutrients, like vitamins K, E, and fiber, while eating a low carbohydrate, high nutrient meal."The fiber content in spinach will help the consumer feel and stay full for longer," which Best also says can help prevent overeating or snacking after dinner. The more you know!
