Weight Loss Recipes

Vitamin C is one of the most talked-about nutrients. Most of us are aware that it is essential for our health and immune system, but do you know why or how much of it you need each day? How can you be sure that you are getting enough? These days, it’s more important than ever to maintain a healthy supply of vitamin C, so we’ve put together this quick guide to everything you need to know about it and how you can get it from your daily diet.

Why is Vitamin C Important?

Healing wounds. According to the National Institutes of Health, your body uses vitamin C to produce collagen, proteins that form the primary structure of skin, cartilage and other soft tissues. When you suffer from a wound or bruise, your body replenishes the damaged area with fresh collagen.

Cancer protection. Vitamin C is an antioxidant. This means that it helps to neutralize “free radical” cells that damage healthy cells, blocking the first step in a chain reaction that may lead to cancer. “Epidemiologic evidence suggests that higher consumption of fruits and vegetables is associated with lower risk of most types of cancer, perhaps, in part, due to their high vitamin C content,” says the National Institutes of Health.

Heart disease reduction. People who don’t consume enough vitamin C are more likely to suffer from cardiovascular diseases, such as atherosclerosis, the condition in which arteries are clogged with excess cholesterol, according to a report from the National Institutes of Health.

Immune system support. We all are looking to give our bodies extra protection from infectious diseases. According to research, published in the journal Nutrients, “Vitamin C contributes to immune defense by supporting various cellular functions of both the innate and adaptive immune system.”

Weight loss. Leptin is a hormone that lets your body know when you’ve eaten enough food to satisfy its needs. According to the Journal of Molecular Endocrinology, vitamin C helps to regulate leptin levels in your body, ensuring that you don’t overeat. A steady supply of vitamin C helps you stay on track with your weight loss plan.

How Much Vitamin C Do You Need?

Your body cannot produce its own vitamin C, so you need to get it from the food you eat. The National Institutes of Health has recommended these daily consumption levels:

• 90 mg for adult males
• 75 mg for females
• 85 mg for pregnant women
• 120 mg for breastfeeding women
• An additional 35 mg for people who smoke

Always speak to your doctor if you have any questions or concerns about your vitamin C status, needs or supplements.

10 Foods High in Vitamin C:

The best sources for vitamin C are real foods. Supplements are available, but food comes with other essential nutrients, says Harvard Health Publishing. The National Institutes of Health provides a list of vitamin C-rich foods that can be incorporated into a healthy diet. We chose our top 10 favorite picks for your Nutrisystem plan and provided some delicious and fresh ideas for enjoying them.

1. Red Peppers

You get the highest concentration of vitamin C per serving in these colorful sweet red bell peppers. Orange, yellow and green peppers are also rich sources of the nutrient.

Try this: Roasted Red Pepper & Turkey Pinwheel Wraps make a quick and satisfying Flex lunch you can take on the go.

2. Oranges

Citrus fruits, including oranges, grapefruit and lemons, are another vitamin C-rich food source. While you get plenty of vitamin c from fresh-squeezed juice, eating the whole fruit also provides fiber that helps you feel full long after you’re finished.

Try this: Cacao Citrus Salad is a colorful breakfast or light lunch that brings together a mix of vitamin-C rich fruit flavored with maple, vanilla, and cacao nibs.

3. Strawberries

These bite-sized treats are high in fiber as well as vitamin C and other key nutrients. You can eat the strawberries whole, add them to smoothies or in other dishes.

Try this: When you’re looking for a cool and creamy snack that fits your weight loss plan and gives you just about a whole day’s supply of vitamin C, whip up a batch of our 2-Ingredient Strawberry Froyo.

4. Broccoli

You probably already know that non-starchy vegetables such as broccoli are a critical part of your daily diet because they are high in fiber and nutrients yet low in calories. Enjoy broccoli raw or lightly steamed. You can even add it to many of your favorite Nutrisystem meals!

Try this: Broccoli and Cheese Breakfast Muffins are a tasty way to start your day with a healthy serving of vegetables.

5. Brussels Sprouts

These bite-sized members of the cabbage family are one of most nutrient-dense foods, meaning they are packed with a wide range of nutrients but are very low in calories. They taste their best in fall, after a light chill has sweetened their flavor.

Try this: The whole family will love the gooey goodness of our 4-Step Cheesy Brussels Sprouts Bake.

6. Cantaloupe

The orange-fleshed melon is so sweet and juicy you don’t need another reason to eat it often, but you’ll also be glad that it loads you up with vitamin C and fiber. For a refreshing drink, freeze cantaloupe cubes and add them to low-sodium seltzer.

Try this: Grilling adds another layer of flavor to cantaloupe. Cut the flesh into cubes (with rind removed) and slide them on to skewers. Cook them over medium heat for four to six minutes, turning frequently. Check out our other ideas for grilled fruit! >

7. Cauliflower

It’s easier than ever to get your daily vitamin C from cauliflower because there are so many delicious ways to eat it—raw with dip, steamed or roasted, ground into rice-like grains, whipped with potatoes, and even rolled into pizza crust.

Try this: 5-Ingredient Buffalo Cauliflower Bread Sticks are a festive snack that you can serve for a celebration or enjoy any day of the week.

8. Kiwi

These fuzzy fruits are perfectly portable. They are great for throwing in your lunch bag for a quick and easy snack. Just slice them in half, grab a spoon and scoop out the sweet, green flesh. Add them to plain, non-fat Greek yogurt for a slightly sweet and sour twist.

Try this: You get two vitamin-C rich foods in the Kiwi Strawberry Slushie, yet it counts as only one SmartCarb on the Nutrisystem weight loss plan.

9. Tomatoes

As a sandwich topping, in a salad or in marinara sauce, tomatoes come with plenty of vitamin C, along with a powerful antioxidant known as lycopene, says Healthline. Be sure to eat the skin, where many of the nutrients are found.

Try this: With an instant pot, you can enjoy a warm and delicious Tomato Basil Frittata in under 30 minutes.

10. Pineapple

If you love tropical flavors, pineapple is a delicious source for your daily vitamin C, says Healthline. Many grocery stores now sell it already sliced and ready to eat, so you don’t have to deal with figuring out when it’s perfectly ripe and juicy.

Try this: Cinnamon Sugar Air Fryer Grilled Pineapple is crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and sweet and cinnamon-y in every bite.

The post 10 Foods High in Vitamin C appeared first on The Leaf.

from The Leaf https://leaf.nutrisystem.com/vitamin-c-foods/

When talking or reading about weight loss, we hear a lot about managing and adjusting our calories. But what exactly are calories? How do we know just the right amount to consume each day? And how might our caloric needs change as we lose weight?

What are Calories?

The answer to this first question is easy. Calories are a simple way to measure the amount of energy you get when you eat food, says Mayo Clinic. Your body needs calories just to perform its most basic functions—keeping your heart beating and your lungs breathing—as well as to fuel your daily activities, from walking around to working at your job.

Carbohydrates, fats and proteins are the macronutrients that provide the bulk of your calorie intake. According to Mayo Clinic, they are your body’s main energy source. No matter which nutrients you eat, the calories are either rapidly converted to energy or stored in the body as fat. “These stored calories will remain in your body as fat unless you use them up, either by reducing calorie intake so that your body must draw on reserves for energy, or by increasing physical activity so that you burn more calories,” says Mayo Clinic.

Calories and Weight Loss

According to Merriam-Webster, the metabolism is all the processes by which the body converts calories into energy. You may have heard that if you consume a greater number of calories than you burn, you will gain weight. And this is fundamentally true. However, the number of calories that you need each day is influenced by a variety of metabolic factors, such as your age, gender, height, starting weight and daily activities.

These metabolic factors determine your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) or the number of calories you burn each day. As you lose weight or change your activity level, your TDEE and metabolism adapts and changes. Because of this, many dieters find that their diet is “less effective” over time. In reality, they haven’t adjusted their eating! They’re still eating for their starting TDEE.

If you continue to diet without adjusting your calories for changes in weight or activity level, your results can take a big hit. According to the peer-reviewed journal, Obesity, losing weight decreases the metabolism, causing you to burn fewer calories throughout the day. Everyday activities also tend to decrease on a reduced calorie diet for weight loss. On the other hand, as you shed extra pounds, you may be more likely to engage in physical activity and structured exercise. While most people assume that an increase in activity leads to faster calorie burning, this is not always the case when dieting. Consuming less calories can cause you to burn less calories during exercise. All of this leads to metabolic adaption and different caloric needs during the weight loss journey.

You’ll get the swiftest results if your weight loss plan accounts for the changes your body goes through as you drop the pounds, as well as all of your other personal attributes. But here’s the good news: adjusting calories doesn’t have to mean giving up foods you like or even eating less food. Instead, you can choose meals and snacks that nourish you well and satisfy your appetite without loading you up on empty calories.

Calories on Nutrisystem

The all-new personalized programs from Nutrisystem take your unique metabolism and TDEE into account to create a weight loss plan tailored to you. We understand that your metabolism and needs change as you lose weight and get more active. That’s why we’ve integrated the NuMi app into the personalized Nutrisystem journey. This is our smart weight loss tool that adjusts your meal plan to your ever-changing needs, so you can keep losing weight and progressing towards your goal at an inspiring pace. NuMi will monitor your TDEE as you lose weight, adjusting your calories and meal plan as needed. It’s a diet that adapts to you!

There is no doubt that a calorie deficit is important for losing weight. However, decreasing your calories too low for too long can actually hinder your progress. If calorie intake is too low, the body will defend against this by decreasing the metabolism. This is the metabolic adaptation we mentioned earlier! Nutrisystem personalized plans aim for a healthy rate of weight loss, which is about one to two pounds per week. This helps to ensure a healthy weight loss while trying to minimize the metabolic adaptation.

On Nutrisystem, you also get to eat all kinds of foods you love, from burgers and pizza to ice cream and cake. Plus we send them directly to your door in perfect portions for the ultimate convenience.

As you travel on your weight loss journey, Nutrisystem dietitians use the information you provide to recommend the best foods for you from our extensive menu and with the “add-ins” you pick up at the grocery store. This guidance keeps you making progress to your goal, even as your body—and its needs for calories—change. That’s the straightest path to the new, slimmer you!

Lose weight with a personalized meal plan tailored to you! Get started with Nutrisystem today >

The post The Importance of Adjusting Calories for Weight Loss appeared first on The Leaf.

from The Leaf https://leaf.nutrisystem.com/adjusting-calories-for-weight-loss/

What diet in the world lets you eat a delicious treat like fudge? This one!

This intensely chocolate-flavored confection has long been a classic delicious treat in the U.S., where food historians say it was invented. Some say it was a candy recipe gone wrong—it was “fudged,” hence the name—but according to the Davenport Daily Tribune, origins of fudge can be pointed to college girls in the late 1800s having fudge parties in their dorms.

It makes you wonder if fudge may have been the origin of the famous “freshman 15,” those extra pounds new collegiates gain when they go off to college. But these freezer fudge recipes we’re sharing with you today won’t add an ounce. They have the same creamy texture— with even more trendy flavors like gingerbread, pumpkin, pecan pie and, of course, peanut butter chocolate!

Here are six fall fudge recipes you can indulge in without “fudging” your diet:

1. Basic Freezer Fudge >

If you can’t stop yourself from tinkering with a recipe, this is the place to start. This basic freezer fudge recipe has only three ingredients: peanut butter, chocolate chips (regular or NutriChocolate), and almond milk. Heated in a pot together, they create a creamy, delicious fudge. Try swapping out the chocolate chips to liven things up with some shredded coconut or honey. Scoop the mixture into an ice cube tray or onto a baking sheet you’ve sprayed with zero-calorie cooking spray and pop it in the freezer to harden.

With chocolate chips, one square counts as three Extras. With NutriChocolates, one square counts as one PowerFuel and one Extra.

Grab some NutriChocolates for this recipe right here! >

2. Gingerbread Fudge >

You can almost taste this delicious treat, can’t you? Made with cashew butter and all the spices that make gingerbread cookies the iconic fall treat, this delectable, melt-in-your-mouth fudge has all the satisfying sweetness of gingerbread, but with only a touch of molasses and stevia sweetener.

At only 88 calories per serving, one serving counts as three Extras on Nutrisystem.

3. Pumpkin Spice Fudge >

It wouldn’t be autumn without the taste of pumpkin spice. Imagine it as a piece of soft, creamy fudge that you can actually eat and enjoy with Zero guilt! Almond butter, real pumpkin puree, a little maple syrup, vanilla, coconut oil and, of course, pumpkin spice are combined to become a delicious treat.

The best part of this pumpkin perfection? One serving is only 82 calories, and it counts as three Extras on Nutrisystem.

4. Pecan Pie Fudge >

Two of your favorite desserts all rolled up into one! This simple recipe uses pecan puree (just whip up some pecans in your food processor), maple syrup, vanilla and maple extract, coconut oil and stevia to produce a 102-calorie treat topped with a whole pecan.

This delicious snack counts as three Extras on Nutrisystem.

5. Maple Walnut Fudge >

This fudge turns an appetizing blonde color, just like traditional maple walnut candy. Be prepared to get all of your maple flavor desires in this delectable and creamy treat that clocks in at a mere 109 calories per serving.

On Nutrisystem, one serving of this fudge counts as three Extras.

6. Almond Butter and Sea Salt Freezer Fudge >

Fans of salty and sweet treats will love this version of freezer fudge. This recipe makes 20 servings, so you can savor it all week. Almond butter makes the base for this fudge, which has a creamy chocolatey top layer made with NutriChocolates, all sprinkled with sea salt. It’s only 113 calories per serving, too!

This salty-sweet snack counts as one PowerFuel and one Extra on Nutrisystem.

Grab some NutriChocolates for this recipe right here! >

Want to try another delicious recipe that is perfect for fall? Click the link below!

The post 6 Fall Fudge Recipes You’ll Melt Over appeared first on The Leaf.

from The Leaf https://leaf.nutrisystem.com/delicious-treat-fudge-recipes/

Although they are both root vegetables, look and taste similar, sweet potatoes and yams aren’t even cousins. In fact, sweet potatoes are members of the same family as morning glories, while yams count as part of their family lilies and grasses.

To make it more confusing, not only are sweet potatoes not potatoes, what’s labeled as a yam in your local market is probably a sweet potato, actually. Most real yams are grown in Africa and may only be available in markets selling international foods.

There are hundreds of different kinds of sweet potatoes that come in colors ranging from white to pale orange, to deep orange inside. There are even some purple varieties!

Here are some popular varieties of sweet potatoes:

The Covington

In North Carolina, where sweet potatoes are a big crop, this is very popular. It’s rose-colored on the outside and has an orange flesh that’s super sweet. You may have served it on Thanksgiving.

The O’Henry

This variety, on the other hand, looks almost like a real potato, with pale copper skin and golden-white inside. It cooks up creamy and is awesome in soups and stews.

Sweet potatoes may differ in other ways too. For instance, though you won’t see them marketed that way, one group is starchier and has dry flesh, which means they have a texture more like a baking potato. They usually have a tan skin with light-colored flesh.

Others are considered moist-fleshed—they’re the red-brown-skinned sweet potatoes with the orange flesh. They’re sweeter than the dry-fleshed varieties.

Whatever you call them (or whatever they’re labeled) these fall-winter all-stars share a sweet, starchy flavor, a texture made soft by cooking and nutrients out the wazoo. But if you think of them as always accompanied by brown sugar and mini-marshmallows, you’re missing their wonderful versatility in recipes. You can turn them into patties, pancakes, chips, fries, noodles, salads, muffins and even ice cream!

Here are some tasty, creative recipes from Nutrisystem that use sweet potatoes:

Blueberry Nut Sweet Potato Toast

This recipe turns four slices of a medium sweet potato into the perfect first layer of a naturally sweet breakfast dish (or dessert!) filled with cottage cheese, blueberries, nuts and honey, all topped with cinnamon. It counts as one SmartCarb, one PowerFuel, one Vegetable and one Extra for your Flex Meal.

Mexican Sweet Potato Toast

How about this recipe? Mashed avocado, black beans, low fat Mexican cheese, chili powder and cilantro spread on sweet potato toast? This delicious recipe counts for one SmartCarb, one PowerFuel and one extra.

Sweet Potato Pie “Nice” Cream 

This makes for a great substitute for pie at your Thanksgiving meal this year. A frozen blend of bananas and almond milk with a hint of vanilla forms an ice-cream-like treat without gobs of cream-derived fats at just 170 calories.

Sweet Potato Noddle Bowl with Almond Butter Sauce

Simply spiralize a sweet potato into noodle strips and combine with shrimp and spinach, tossing with a to-die-for sauce made with almond butter, low-sodium chicken broth and light soy sauce.

Why sweet potatoes are a superfood you should add to your diet:

Nutrition and health benefits:

Calorie-wise, sweet potatoes are your dream food. On the Nutrisystem program, a half-cup counts as one SmartCarb serving. Naturally sweet, one medium potato clocks in at only 105 calories with a whopping four grams of fiber and, unless you’re drenching it in butter, zero fat. It also supplies 438 percent of your daily value of vitamin A and 37 percent of your daily value of vitamin C, as well as being good a source of important B vitamins, manganese, copper and iron.

There’s also good evidence in medical studies that antioxidant plant chemicals in sweet potatoes may be beneficial in preventing a number of chronic and deadly diseases, including diabetes and cancer.

The post Superfood Saturday: Even More Reasons to Be Sweet on Sweet Potatoes appeared first on The Leaf.

from The Leaf https://leaf.nutrisystem.com/sweet-potatoes-superfood/

Belly fat can be seriously stubborn. Even if you’re on a plan and losing weight, it can seem like the fat around your middle just won’t budge. And if you’re apple-shaped, it can feel like it will be the absolute last thing to go. Looking for some tips to target that belly fat? We’re here to help!

You should love the body you’re in, but if your goal is to lose belly fat, we understand: That stubborn stickiness can be frustrating and demoralizing. More important, fat held around your middle is a health risk. People with visceral fat around their stomachs—the rock-hard kind associated with a beer belly that’s close to your organs—have higher risks of early death, says John Hopkins Medicine. According to Reuters Health, one study found that every 10-centimeter increase in waist size increases the risk of heart failure by 19 percent in women and 30 percent in men.

Reduce your risks by decreasing your belly fat. If you have an apple-shaped body, consider the all-new personalized programs from Nutrisystem! They can be tailored to your specific body type, age, gender and more. You can also try these 10 tips to help target that tummy and drop excess pounds.

Here are 10 tips to help you target belly fat and lose weight:

Tip 1: Exercise.

If you are searching for how to target belly fat and want a “fat-burning” workout, you don’t have to soak your clothes in sweat or gasp your way through a high-intensity class. In one study, published in Obesity, people who were “moderately active” reduced their visceral fat levels by 7.4 percent compared to people who were inactive. And if you speed up for short bursts, you can burn even more. According to Ohio State University, “walking at varying speeds can burn up to 20 percent more calories compared to maintaining a steady pace.”

An easy way to do this: While on a 30-minute walk, walk a little bit faster at the start of every new song on your playlist. After 30 seconds or a minute of the song, slow to your normal pace until the next song starts.

Tip 2: Catch up on sleep to target belly fat.

These tips couldn’t be easier! But getting enough sleep is one of the most important things you can do for fat loss. “Researchers found that persons sleeping less than five hours at night gained more abdominal fat over a five year period, versus those who averaged over six hours per night, says the National Sleep Foundation.

According to UChicago News, one study found that dieters who were sleep-deprived lost weight, but not as much fat. Those who slept for about five hours per night lost 55 percent less fat during the study than those who got about seven hours of shuteye. Aim for seven or eight hours of sleep per night for the best results.

Tip 3: Have oatmeal for breakfast.

Oatmeal doesn’t just help you lose weight—and it does, as it’s packed with more filling protein than almost any other “common” grain, according to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. A morning bowl of oats also helps undo some of the detrimental effects of belly fat, helping with insulin resistance after your meal, says the peer-reviewed journal Nutrients. According to Livestrong.com, one study found that “overweight and obese participants who ate a whole-grain oat cereal twice per day reduced their waist circumference more than the group eating a low-fiber cereal of equal calories, though there was no difference in total weight loss.”

Tip 4: Top your oatmeal with blueberries.

Some studies suggest that the soluble fiber in blueberries—and oatmeal—may specifically target belly fat. In one study of rats at the University of Michigan Cardiovascular Center, those that were given blueberries lost more belly fat while dieting than those who lost weight without the berries, says Science Daily. Scientists theorize that the antioxidants in blueberries may be the cause.

Tip 5: Eat more fiber.

Fiber is crucial for losing weight without feeling hungry. This nutrient, found in vegetables and whole grains, slows down digestion so that you feel fuller for longer. It may also help to target belly fat. According to Science Daily, one study conducted at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center found, “for every 10-gram increase in soluble fiber eaten per day, visceral fat was reduced by 3.7 percent over five years.” That’s one of the reasons why Nutrisystem programs include a requirement to eat at least four servings of non-starchy, fiber-rich vegetables each day.

Tip 6: Sauté vegetables in canola oil.

Canola oil has a higher heat tolerance than olive oil, making it perfect for sautéing some of your daily servings of non-starchy vegetables. But the oil itself may also help you target belly fat: According to Science Daily, a Penn State study found that people who had daily smoothies infused with canola oil lost more belly fat in a month—a quarter-pound more—than other study participants who had a smoothie fortified with another type of oil. “Including canola oil in a healthy diet may help reduce abdominal fat in as little as four weeks,” says Science Daily.

Try using canola oil at snack time: Try this recipe for easy, homemade BBQ Sweet Potato Chips! >

Tip 7: Eat less saturated fat.

Eating fat isn’t the nutritional no-no it was in the 1990s. However, eating too much saturated fat can still have deleterious health consequences. According to DiabetesSelfManagement.com, “Eating saturated fat leads to the accumulation of more visceral fat and less muscle mass than eating polyunsaturated fat, according to new research published in the journal Diabetes.”

Monounsaturated fats, on the other hand, may also help. According to Science Daily, Penn State researchers found that these so-called “healthy fats” found in certain vegetable oils have been shown to help dieters lose belly fat.

Tip 8: Eat more calcium.

Good news for you cheese lovers: If you’re already on a diet, eating more calcium could help more of the weight you lose come from fat. In a review of 41 studies, published in the British Journal of Nutrition, scientists found that increasing daily calcium intake resulted in a greater reduction in body fat compared to diets without calcium.

It doesn’t have to be all dairy, though: Get more of the bone-strengthening nutrient in your diet with one of these seven surprising sources of calcium! > From fortified orange juice to figs, there are plenty of sweet and tasty options.

Tip 9: Snack on some almonds to target belly fat.

One of those calcium-rich foods: Almonds. Swapping those little brown nuts in place of a higher-carb snack has also been found to help people lose belly fat. In one study of 48 people with elevated “bad” cholesterol, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, those who were given a daily almond snack lost fat in their legs and bellies, even if they didn’t lose weight.

As with any nutty snack, watch your portions. If you go overboard, a cup of almonds can add over 800 calories to your daily diet, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Consult your Grocery Guide and stick to a one PowerFuel serving: Two tablespoons of almonds can help you burn fat and stay on track.

Tip 10: Have dark chocolate for dessert.

It’s a delicious way to end your day—and target that stubborn belly fat. Even for people who aren’t dieting, dark chocolate can help reduce belly fat: In one study, published in the European Review for Medical and Pharmacological Sciences, scientists studied women who had body weights in the “normal” range, but body fat levels in the “obese” range. When they gave some of these women dark chocolate each day, these study participants saw their waists shrink due to a loss of abdominal fat.

Luckily, Nutrisystem is the diet that embraces eating your favorites—like chocolate! Our Dark Chocolate Almond Bites are a delicious way to snack on dark chocolate while you lose weight.

Looking for more easy tips to lose belly fat? Explore our Diet and Nutrition section here on The Leaf! >

The post 10 Tips to Target Belly Fat appeared first on The Leaf.

from The Leaf https://leaf.nutrisystem.com/target-belly-fat-tips/