Vegetables help you get more for less

I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve heard myself say, “I don’t want to be the weight-loss police,” but nearly all areas of dietetics involve weight management to some degree, as a healthy body weight is a key component of overall wellness. Understanding a variety of approaches so you can help your patients and clients figure out what works for them is important.

My supervisor definitely keeps me on my toes by brining up current research and health news. She’s also lent me several books she likes. At the moment, I’m halfway through Dean Ornish’s Eat More, Weigh Less.

The title makes me cringe a little, but it’s a book I’d be comfortable recommending to someone looking to improve their health through diet. Even though I do no not agree with the recommendation of eating only 10 percent of calories from fat (though, for some people, this may appropriate), I like the emphasis on plant-based foods and the idea that you can—and should—eat lots of fruits and vegetables, which add flavor and volume but not a lot of calories or fat.

A few recent studies,  discussed in the New York Times earlier this week, support the idea that filling up on certain foods (hot red pepper was looked at in one study) may help people satisfy hunger and control caloric intake. Adding pureed vegetables to foods was also shown to aid  in reducing calories (key to weight-loss) by bulking up meals and increasing vegetable intake. Win-win!