Blueberries
Ah, blueberries. By now, you've probably heard all about how blueberries are great for you. All berries are good for your health, but it turns out that berries with a bluish color to them are the healthiest since they contain the highest level of antioxidants. Antioxidants are important for helping to prevent heart disease and also cancer. Also, blueberries contain high amounts of fiber, which keep blood cholesterol at low levels. Low blood cholesterol helps maintain heart health and your digestive system. Fiber also helps you maintain fullness, thereby eating loss.
Blueberries can be eaten dried or fresh. You can eat them alone as a snack, or mix it up with other fruits for a nice fruit salad snack. Throw them into a smoothie, since doing so will help thicken up the drink. Or, mix blueberries with your meals such as salads, cereals or yogurts.
Goji Berries
Goji berries have a chewy texture and taste a bit tart. They are great as a satisfying snack with their surprisingly high amount of protein (containing 18 amino acids). Also, goji berries have high amounds of superoxide dismutase (SOD) that help rid the body of damaging free radicals in the body. What do this mean for your appearance? High SOD levels in the body have been shown to help prevent damage to the eyes, skin and other vital organs. They also reduce pain and inflammation in arthritis. Goji berries contain 35 calories per tablespoon.
Now, you may be wondering how to use goji berries. As mentioned, they can be eaten as a snack. You can eat them alone, or mix them up with your favorite nuts such as almonds or walnuts, and other dried fruits such as raisins. I personally also enjoy boiling goji berries in water and sipping it as tea after dinnertime as a relaxing and healthy drink. You can also boil goji berries and sprinkle it over different foods, such as yogurts or salads to create an extra burst of flavor while satisfying your hunger.
Pomegranates
Both pomegranate seeds and pomegranate juice deserve credit for their numerous health benefits. Both are full of folate and antioxidants. As mentioned, antioxidants are great in fighting and prevent bodily diseases. Folate also plays a similar role in maintaining heart health and helping in the prevention of cancer. Folic acid is important for women before and during pregnancy in the prevention of major birth defects. Besides this, pomegranate has low calories and high amounts of fiber to keep you feeling fuller.
You can normally purchase the seeds by themselves in the supermarket, but if your grocery store only sells the whole pomegranate, you can take out the seeds yourself. Cut the pomegranate in half, then soak the halves in a tub of cold water while separating the seeds from the skin of the fruit. You can eat the seeds on their own as a snack, or throw them onto salads to give an extra crunch. And, of course, you can drink the pomegranate juice for its numerous health benefits.
Grapefruit
Grapefruits are great to eat to satisfy that sweet tooth. Compared to other fruits, it has about the same calorie content as strawberries, and is in the middle range for magnesium and potassium content. Grapefruits are known for satisfying hunger, which reduces overall calories consumed. A medium sized grapefruit is around 170 calories.
Grapefruits can be eaten on their own. Slice on in half, then use a knife and cut inside the wedges, then scoop them out. If you're too lazy to do so (like me), you can simply peel the skin off, chop the grapefruit into segments and eat it that way. I find that chopping up the grapefruit rather than peeling by segment makes it easier to chew the grapefruit. Or, for a sweet treat, cut the grapefruit in half and put it in the oven to caramelize the top. Grapefruit slices can also be used in cooking, such as serving with salmon or chicken, or throwing on top of salads.
Apples
An apple a day, keeps the doctor away. As it turns out, an apple a day can also help keep weight gain away. A study showed that participants who ate an apple compared to other snacks, such as a granola bar, before consuming a carb-heavy meal ended up consuming fewer calories overall. There are also antioxidants present in apples that help prevent metabolic syndrome, a condition that leads to excess belly fat.
Apples make great snacks to bring along. If you're like me, and like to eat them in bite size pieces, you can cut them up and spritz with lemon juice to prevent the flesh from turning brown. A neat trick I read recently is that you can cut the apple into quarters and tie it together with a rubber band until consumption. If you feel like eating an apple pie, you can dice up an apple, sprinkle cinnamon and nutmeg, and pop it in the microwave or oven. Delicious!
A Closing Note
Losing weight or maintaining a healthy weight can often be found to be tricky for people, especially when they have a sweet tooth. However, rather than reaching for that candy bar or bag of gummies, try reaching for one of these fruits as a snack or to incorporate in your meals. There's a good chance that these fruits will help to satisfy a sweet tooth and help in weight loss in the process. Fruits: delicious, satisfying and healthy for you. What more could one ask for?