How I lost weight by eating more (of the right foods)
Whole plants are my secret to maintaining a healthy weight. I am more than twenty kilograms lighter than I was in my late twenties. However, I do not restrict the quantity of food I eat. I happily enjoy abundant amounts of the foods I prefer. Here are some foods I swear by for feeling light and abundant.
Porridge/Oatmeal
I am glad to be writing about oats in this time of the year because I crave hot foods in cold mornings. Porridge is a high-fibre breakfast that avoids saturated fats. It is also an opportunity to enjoy other beneficial foods. Cook more ingredients into the batch or sprinkle toppings of berries, hemp seeds and anything you prefer. I particularly crave a berry cacao porridge, with a hint of maply syrup, because it feels like a dessert.
Wholemeal Pasta
Although I treat myself to white pasta in moderation, wholemeal is a better carb to enjoy as much as we want. It can feel more filling. So we may feel satisfied sooner.
Beans
I love soaking dry beans overnight and then pressure-cooking them in the morning. I soak these legumes in the fridge. However, you can find a guide that feels right for you. They can boil in a pot on the stove if you don’t have a pressure cooker. However, I trust my multi-purpose machine as a convenient solution.
Why are beans so good? They bring affordable protein and fibre to meals. Some brands provide kilogram bags for around $5-7. It’s easy to make a black bean Mexican dish, white bean curry, veg minestrone or bean burger.
Lentils
I’m going to make a wild statement. Lentils are genius. They are. You can blend red lentils with water and then fry them in the pan to create wrap breads. Green/brown lentils can be substitutes for mince.
Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are associated with longevity, contributing to more years of healthy energy. I adore sweet potato flatbreads, which can be made with any starchy flour. They are great as naan or pizza bases.
Oven-baked white potato chips are a classic. They can either be oil-free or cooked in a drizzle of olive oil. This is less fat than deep-fried chips. There is more freedom to season the fries as desired.
Very occasionally, I have made a batch of mashed potato as a side (dairy-free, of course). I just used olive oil and salt. You could use a dairy-free butter.
Kale and spinach with other greens
All leafy greens are important, but these are my favourites. You can blend kale with basil, olive oil, and seeds or nuts for a pesto. Spinach reduces in size when cooked into a dish. This allows us to enjoy more of those leaves in one meal. I stir finely chopped spinach or kale into organic baked beans. This is a perfectly lazy way to feel nourished and fed with minimal effort.
