Losing weight is never easy, but for many of us, it is a step toward improved health and longevity. The first thing we have to conquer is the fear of feeling hungry. Hunger tells us that we are eating fewer calories than we normally do. This is a good sign on your road to weight loss: The more comfortable we are with feeling hungry, the likelier we are to succeed.
There are many tricks we can use to reduce calories while keeping our stomachs feeling full.
I like to soak dried quinoa or millet in soy milk overnight and then cook it on the stovetop in the morning for a filling, high-protein, low-fat breakfast. Monica Reinagel—the board-certified, licensed nutritionist and a professionally-trained chef who sits on my FoodTrients Board of Advisors — recommends eating foods rich in fiber to fill up the stomach and slow digestion so you feel satiated for longer.
For lunch, I’ll serve my Quinoa Tabbouleh on Pita recipe (which is in my cookbook), a nutrient-dense starter dish or snack—and it’s full of health-sustaining nutritional compounds including fiber, lycopene, sulfur compounds, choline, and chlorophyll, that help your skin stay elastic, reduce inflammation, and provide antioxidants.
Other grains with similar high-fiber, nutrition-dense properties include brown rice, freekeh, and wild rice. My Seafood with Wild Rice recipe makes a lovely low-fat dinner that’s high in the FoodTrients Omega-3s, fiber, and selenium.
Seafood with Wild Rice
SERVES 2
1 cup wild rice or a combination of wild and brown rice?4 cups water?2 cups chicken broth?4 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil?¼ cup chopped onion?2 bay leaves?¼ cup chopped carrot?¼ cup chopped celery?¼ cup chopped broccoli?¼ cup chopped red bell pepper?¼ cup chopped yellow bell pepper?½ lb. seafood medley?Sea salt and ground pepper to taste
1. Place the rice in a bowl, cover with water, and soak overnight.?2. Combine the chicken broth and rice in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook covered over low heat until all liquid is absorbed, about 30 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 2 Tbs. of the olive oil. Set aside to cool.?3. Heat the remaining 2 Tbs. olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, bay leaves, carrot, celery, broccoli, and peppers and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the seafood and cook for 10–12 minutes. Turn the seafood at least once during cooking. Season with the salt and pepper.?4. Add the rice to the skillet and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes.
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GRACE O BIO
Combining her passion for food and a commitment to promoting a healthy lifestyle, Grace O has created FoodTrients®, a unique program for optimizing wellness. Grace O is a fusion chef with a mission: to cook up recipes for a long and joyful life that are built on a foundation of anti-aging science and her 15 years in the health care industry. Visit FoodTrients.com to learn more.
