In recent times, more and more people are becoming health conscious and willing to choose a healthier diet. Maintaining a healthy body weight is not only about looking good but also staying fit. Being overweight and obese can lead to multiple health problems such as cardiovascular diseases, Type 2 diabetes, diseases related to inflammation, kidney problems, liver problems and so on. Furthermore, the overweight issue can also hamper your confidence and lead to low self-esteem, depression and anxiety. While many people set regular goals to lose weight but sadly very few of them follow religiously. This is often because it can be very difficult to shed the extra kilos, especially when your body has a low metabolism. Some people also find it challenging as they cannot give up the habit of snacking. With this in mind, it is crucial to replace your snacks with dry fruits to aid with your weight loss!
Why Dry Fruits?
Now, you might be wondering why you should eat dry fruits instead of your regular snacks. Dry fruits are filled with healthy nutrients and many of them are considered superfoods due to their high nutritional value. Thus, when you choose to eat them instead of regular snacks, you ensure that you do not increase your intake of unhealthy fats and carbohydrates that promote weight gain.
Moreover, dry fruits can also help people who have low metabolisms. This is because certain kinds of dry fruits can boost your metabolism, which is very helpful for losing weight.
What are the Best Dry Fruits for Weight Loss?
The following dry fruits can help you the most during your weight loss journey:
1. Almonds:
Almonds have very low amounts of calories. A 100 grams of almonds contains only 576 kcals. Eating small amounts of almonds on a daily basis can provide your body with high levels of nutrients that are beneficial for overall health. These nutrients are proteins, mono-saturated fats and antioxidants. Furthermore, almonds also improve your health by lowering bad cholesterol, which tends to be high in people who are obese or overweight.
2. Pistachios:
People who like to snack frequently can benefit the most from eating pistachios. This is mainly because they have very high amounts of fibre, which helps your body feel full for longer periods of time. Additionally, fibre is good for digestion as it aids with bowel movement.
3. Cashews:
Cashews are delicious nuts that are quite popular in India. They provide your body with close to 73% of the recommended daily dose of magnesium. This is actually very beneficial for weight loss because magnesium helps your body regulate the fat and carbohydrate metabolism in the body.
4. Dates:
Dates are rich in flavour and very good for weight loss. This is because they have high fibre content, which will help to suppress your mid-day hunger pangs by making you feel full. As a result, you will be less prone to snacking between your meals. Dates are also beneficial as they provide your body with Vitamin B5. This vitamin is known for boosting your stamina, which means that you can exercise for a longer period, and work towards getting your ideal weight!
5. Walnuts:
Walnuts are a unique type of dry fruit as they contain a high amount of good fats such as omega 3 fatty acids and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). These fatty acids help to reduce body fat and are also good for cardiovascular health. This can be a great addition to the diet as many people who are overweight are already at risk for cardiovascular problems and this can be a great way to try and prevent them.
6. Brazil Nuts:
Brazil nuts have many properties that aid weight loss. They contain an essential amino acid known as L-arginine, which is very good for burning fat. It increases body metabolism and thus, prevents the accumulation of unhealthy fat. Brazil nuts have high amounts of certain minerals such as selenium, thiamine, phosphorus and magnesium which are all very good for the body to lose weight.
7. Hazelnuts:
Hazelnuts have high fibre content as well as healthy fats, and both are very good for helping with weight loss. Like all the other high-fibre dry fruits in this article, Hazelnuts will also help you by making you feel full for hours after you eat them. Controlling your snacking can often be a great first step in losing weight!
8. Apricots:
Apricots can stop you to feel hungry till at least 5 hours after you eat them. Additionally, they provide your body with magnesium, which regulates fat metabolism. Apricots have a slightly sweet taste and you can add them to certain desserts while cooking.
9. Raisins:
If you are following a low-salt diet, then it can be difficult to find a snack that has both, low salt and weight loss properties. However, raisins offer both benefits! These dry fruits have high amounts of iodine. In 100 grams of raisins, you will find only 0.5 grams of fat and 299 kcal, making this a great snack for people who are trying to lose weight.
10. Prunes:
Prunes are also commonly called dried plums. They have dietary fibre content, which promotes peristaltic movements in the intestines. As a result, waste and toxins get released from your body quite quickly and this can help you in losing weight. Additionally, 100 grams of prunes contains only 240 kcal, making this a good snack for people who need to control their daily calorie intake.
11. Black Currant:
Black currant makes for a great pre-workout snack. It is easy to include in your diet and a versatile dry fruit like raisins. The best part is it aids in weight loss. The dietary fibre and low sugar content make them desirable, especially for kids. These dried fruits are high in nutrition and taste. It also helps with several health issues like obesity, heart health, etc due to its antioxidant properties.
12. Figs:
Dried figs are abundant in dietary fibres that aid the digestive system to function optimally. Figs also contain a digestive enzyme known as ficin. This enzyme helps you lose weight as it combines with other enzymes in the digestive tract. Consumption of figs also reduces your craving for sugar and helps you maintain a healthy diet.
13. Goji Berries:
These tiny red berries are packed with nutrients and antioxidants. Goji berries have high fibre content and help increase the metabolism of your body. Drinking goji berry juice can boost metabolism and aid your weight loss journey.
How To Add Dry Fruits and Nuts To Your Diet
- Pack a bunch of nuts, dry fruits along with a banana or apple for lunch.
- Grind or process nuts and dry fruits into a powder or fine mixture, this nutrient-heavy mix can be added to smoothies, beverages and desserts as a topping or base.
- Choose an appropriate nut and crush it a bit, add it to soups and salads to replace the crunchiness of croutons.
- Add chopped or crushed almonds, cashews or pecans to your breakfast cereal and skip the sugar. You’ll add healthy fats, fibre and boost your energy levels for the rest of your day. Almonds are also one of the best dry fruits for weight loss due to their low calories count.
- Nuts can also be added on top of baked fish (and other proteins), this gives both something crunchy to contrast with the fish but also does wonders for your plate presentation.
- Stir fry dishes (think Thai cuisine and anything cooked in a wok) all can do with the flavour a handful sprinkling of nuts can bring.
- Mughlai Cuisine also makes use of cashew nuts (usually blended into the base) which add a deep richness, making each platter truly fit for a king.
- You can bite into dry fruit chikki as a snack. Peanut chikkis are widely available in stores all over India. But it is always best to make yours at home. And when you do make healthy dry fruit chikki for weight loss at home, you have the leeway to add your choice of nuts such as almonds, walnuts and cashew nuts.
- Cake is a delectable dish that everyone in the world loves to eat. But if your goal is to eat healthy make sure to make yourself a nice plum cake with lots of dry fruits soaked in wine while keeping the base of your cake healthy like a wholewheat plum cake to ensure maximum nutrition.
- If you love kebabs you are surely going to love this one. Make at home a batch of anjeer (fig) ke kebabs made from figs, hung curd and paneer. These kebabs are great for your breakfast, lunch and dinner. You can even have them as a healthy and tasty snack!
- Indians love barfi (kaju katli) but instead of eating cashew barfi which can be fattening why not try for something healthier such as anjeer barfi made from dried figs, pistas, jaggery and ghee? These make great sweets when you have guests coming over for an event or during Diwali. You can even make them during your weekend in batches and keep a few in your tiffin box to have as a snack in the office or university, in between classes.
Different Ways to Consume Nuts on a Daily Basis:
If you do not want to eat a bowl of raw nuts, you can consume them in other ways that are equally beneficial for you. For example:
- Drinking almond milk can provide you with the nutrients of almond and the goodness of milk. Additionally, almond milk has low fat and calorie content so it can fit into your diet plan quite well.
- Eating protein bars can help you curb your cravings and also benefit from eating different types of nuts at once. This is because typically, protein bars contain more than one dry fruit. But you must confirm this on the product packaging as it.
- can vary from brand to brand.
- Drinking a smoothie in the mornings with almonds, raisins, hazelnuts or cashews.
- Coating your main protein in a meal with nuts (for example, chicken coated with pistachios).
Keep these in mind when you consume dry fruits for weight loss
- Always consume dry fruits in moderation. They are packed with nutrients and a regulated amount of consumption in a day is enough for your health. Overconsumption can be harmful as these dry fruits are very calorie-rich.
- Always consume dry fruits without any additives. Consuming sugar-coated dry fruits or salted dry fruits are not as beneficial as consuming natural dry fruit.
- When you purchase dry fruits, check the labels to see whether it has any additives or not. Sometimes they are mixed with sugars, spices, etc.
Other Helpful Tips
If you plan on adding dry fruits to your diet, here are a few other helpful tricks to speed up your weight loss:
| 10 Tips To Lose Weight | |
| 1. Don’t skip breakfast – If you miss the first meal of the day, you will be short on nutrients and end up snacking all day long. | 5. Hydrate – Drink enough water daily to keep your body in balance. Being thirsty can sometimes confuse us into eating food unnecessarily |
| 2. Eat at regular times – When your body is accustomed to regular mealtimes, you will have a stable metabolism. It also helps to avoid snacking. | 6. Check the label – Most food labels will give you an idea of the calorie and fat content, check these labels to make sure the food you buy fits into your diet |
| 3. Fruits and Veggies – Fruits and vegetables are high in fibre and low in calories and fat making them a perfect combo for weight loss. | 7. Smaller plate – A smaller plate will trick you into eating smaller portions. Also eating slower will convince your brain that you are full even with less food |
| 4. Exercise – A great diet will only help so much. You need some form of regular physical activity to speed up the weight loss process | 8. Reduce or stop alcohol – Alcohol can contribute to weight gain heavily, not to mention that it is linked to several other health issues |
Conclusion:
Your health depends a lot on your weight as it can impact various body functions. Therefore, monitoring the same diligently can help you improve the way you look and feel. Ultimately, this can have many positive impacts on your life such as improved confidence and self-esteem, better social skills, more motivation and positive thoughts. Even if it may seem very difficult right now, you should know that if you take simple steps like introducing dry foods in your diet, you can lose your unwanted weight easily!
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