Vegetables to Lose Weight

Eating vegetables has many health benefits, from preventing cardiovascular diseases to promoting healthy skin and teeth. Vegetables make sensible and smart choices when it comes to losing weight. They're low in calories and fat and high in phytonutrients. They provide bulk with few calories. Replacing foods rich in saturated fats and unhealthy sugars with vegetables can greatly reduce your fat and calorie intake, translating to weight loss.

High in Fiber

• Vegetables are high in fiber, and fiber is effective in controlling weight. According to obesity researcher Joanne Slavin at the University of Minnesota, fiber can induce satiety (makes you feel full) and slow digestion. This dual action can help you cut back on eating unnecessary calories. Fiber also adds bulk to your food, satisfying hunger with fewer calories.

  Fiber-dense vegetables include green leafy vegetables (spinach, chard, bak choy, collard greens), carrots, pumpkin, tomatoes and artichokes. Beans and peas are technically vegetables and are also fiber-dense. Examples include black beans, garbanzo, lentils, soy beans and split peas.

High Water Content

• Many vegetables have a high concentration of water, including cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, spinach, jicama, bean sprouts, mushroom, celery and radishes. Water-rich vegetables act as natural appetite suppressants, filling you up and decreasing your desire for food. A study published by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition underscores this point: Women who ate soups (high water content) before meals consumed fewer calories than those who didn't.

  A good way to put this knowledge into practical weight loss: Eat soups beefed up with lots of vegetables before meals. You can also eat a big salad before the main meal to satisfy hunger and lower your overall calorie intake.

Fat-Burning Vegetables

• Some vegetables are thermogenic---more energy is needed to process these foods. The result? The body naturally raises the metabolic rate and burns more body fat. Hot peppers, cabbage, celery, Brussels sprouts, broccoli and cauliflower fall under this category. Vegetables that double up as spices, like garlic and onion are fat-whittling too. Garlic's active compound, allicin, can reduce unhealthy fats and lower bad cholesterol. The humble onion contains high levels of quercetin (also found in green vegetables and beans), a potent antioxidant that can inhibit accumulation in fat cells.

Ways to Eat Vegetables

• Vegetables are very versatile and best eaten raw. Throw a variety of vegetables together to make a salad or create interesting soups. You can juice them for a refreshing drink or puree them to add to your cooking. You can also steam, sauté or grill vegetables. But what you put on the vegetables can make or break the diet. Instead of slathering them with butter or dressings and sauces made with unhealthy fats, use simple, home-made dressings with healthy oils, like olive and safflower, and minimal seasoning. Natural no-fat seasonings like lemon juice, spices and herbs add flavor without adding calories.