Did you know that you could burn more calories with certain foods? Sounds too good to be true right? Well recent studies give you one more reason to start eating better. In a 2010 study printed in Food and Nutrition Research, researchers found that choosing 100% whole grain breads, whole fruits, and whole vegetables over more processed options will do just that. In the study, sandwiches made with multigrain bread and
real cheddar cheese required the body twice the amount of energy to digest versus the sandwich made with white bread and processed cheese. Double the energy means double the calories the body has burned in the process! Researchers believe it’s the fiber found in whole grains and whole foods that requires the body to work harder for digestion. The more processing a food goes through, the more nutrients it loses. So I guess the lesson of this article is the less packaging the better. It’s an easy change to make to your diet, just examine your daily meals. Choose things like apples over applesauce, raw carrots over canned carrots, 100% whole wheat over white bread. (Breads can be tricky, just because it says whole grain or seven grain doesn’t mean it’s the healthiest choice. Read the ingredients label and look for whole grain or whole wheat to be the FIRST ingredient).
Estelle L. Benoit, RD, LDN
Source: realage.com