There are lots of great choices for low calorie high fiber fruits and vegetables year round but the pickings are best in the summer! If you are on a weight loss diet or would like to simply maintain your weight, filling up on delicious fruits and vegetables is the way to go. The fiber and high water content help keep your hunger at bay.
Although there are dozens of possibilities, I picked ten fruits and vegetables that hopefully are readily available (in the United States). In addition, they are relatively low in energy density yet high in nutrient density (low calorie, packed with nutrients) as well as being a good source of fiber. Nutrient density is particularly important in low calorie diets to help you achieve nutritional balance. This in turn contributes to you having a sense of satisfaction that goes beyond the feeling of fullness.
Whether eaten cooked or raw, the calorie counts are based on the fruit or vegetable as prepared or served without added sauces, sugar, or other added calories.
Vegetables
Broccoli: ½ cup of broccoli provides 3 grams of fiber with a mere 26 calories!
Carrots: ½ cup of carrots has 2.5 grams of fiber with 27 calories.
Sweet Yellow Corn: the equivalent of ½ cup prepared on the cob or sliced off has 2.5 grams of fiber and 65 calories.
Snap Green Beans: ½ cup of cooked snap green beans has 2 grams of fiber and 22 calories.
Edible Podded Peas such as Snow peas and Sugar Snap Peas: ½ cup of cooked pea pods has 2 grams of fiber and 33 calories.
[When watching calories take note that vegetables such as corn with higher starch content (carbohydrates) have more calories.]
Fruits
Blackberries: ½ cup of fresh blackberries provides 4 grams of fiber with only 31 calories!
Raspberries: ½ cup of fresh raspberries yields 4 grams of fiber with only 32 calories!
Blueberries: ½ cup of blueberries has 2 grams of fiber and 42 calories.
Peaches: 1 medium peach provides 2 grams of fiber and 59 calories.
Nectarines: 1 medium nectarine has 2 grams of fiber with 62 calories.
[When it makes sense, do eat the skin and seeds of fruits and vegetables for the most fiber. If you are concerned about possible pesticide residues on the skin you might want to read an article I posted on my Chocolate Veggies site entitled “Risks Associated with Eating Fruits & Vegetables.”]
Keep in mind that even on a 1200-calorie diet, there’s room for several servings of fruits and vegetables. In addition to whole grain breads and cereals, small amounts of lean meat, fish, or poultry and low fat dairy select 2-3 servings of fruits and 2-3 servings of vegetables. On a higher calorie diet choose to include 5 to 9 servings.
If you’d like to read more about the benefits of fiber for weight loss read the article I posted earlier on Dietary Fiber: Can it Help You with Weight Loss?
And for additional ideas on ways to include fiber in your diet more often you’ll want to read High Fiber Diet for Weight Loss
{ 2 trackbacks }