A common question I get asked is “What Are the Best Vegetables for Dieting?” A lot of people don’t really like to eat their veggies – so finding out which ones are the most beneficial can help minimize the sacrifice if you’re not a natural born veggie lover.

All vegetables have important vitamins and minerals that we need that promote a healthy lifestyle. Veggies are also low in fat and calories in most instances, which means if you eat them instead of something that is high in fat and calories you can reduce your daily calorie intake.

According to the federal eating guidelines set by the United States Agricultural Department, we should strive to eat 2-3 servings of vegetables per day. The LoseFree Diet recommends even more than this – but there are ways to get them in much easier than you may think.

When it comes to what vegetables are best to eat to lose weight, there is a difference between what you are choosing. Some are higher in calories, sugars, and the dreaded diet C word – carbs than others. These ones that are higher in these are known as “starchy” vegetables whereas the other types are non-starchy varieties. Some foods may be classified as vegetables biologically, but in the sake of classifying foods for our diet may actually be considered grains.

Both types are good to eat, but you’ll want to try and limit yourself to only one of the starchy kind each day and get the rest of your servings from non-starchy varieties. (Although, obviously – it is far better to eat starchy vegetables than to go for a chocolate cake!)

Be sure to eat organic vegetables when possible – the last thing you’d want is to overload your body with pesticides and chemicals! If organic isn’t available in your area or not within your budget, make sure to wash them, wash them, then wash them some more.

Here are some of the starchy vegetables to think about: peas, potatoes, corn, squash, and yams. These are all yummy vegetables, but they do not tend to really give you the full benefits of other types.  Also, because they are considered to be starches, they are actually for some people the equivalent to a serving from the grains group. (Which is why if you’re someone prone to sugar addiction it’s likely I’ve just listed a few of your favorite vegetables – I know I’m a sucker for peas and mashed potatoes!) These foods aren’t bad for you – sweet potatoes are very healthy – but they ARE starchy in nature.

Now, all of the rest of vegetables are non-starchy varieties and for the most part you don’t really need to concern yourself with them all that much – just need to eat them as part of your regular balanced meals. However, I’m always asked things like, but yeah – what’s really BEST – should I be eating broccoli or spinach?

Since I don’t recommend going for a diet based on calories only, to me knowing which veggies are lowest in calories doesn’t really apply to me. Sure, there are low calorie vegetables such as celery – but how much nutritional value does celery actually offer? Very little, since the plant seems to be made up of pretty much only water. Celery is considered a negative calorie food, which means that your burn more calories just by the act of eating it then you get from it.

So, instead of thinking in terms of low calories, I prefer to think in terms of which vegetables give you the best nutritional bang for your buck – because getting the right nutrients is far more important than how many calories you should eat.

Another important aspect of dieting and losing weight is the effect of foods on your metabolism. This in my opinion is far more important than worrying about calorie or carb counts. A good metabolism is what helps you burn those calories and fat as opposed to storing them. If you can keep your metabolism in check, most people have no problems whatsoever trying to maintain their healthy weight.

So, to consult my handy list of foods that speed your metabolism and here’s the veggies we have listed on it:

Black Beans
Green Beans
Navy Beans
Kidney Beans
Spinach

These are just a few veggies, so it helps to learn more that are good for you to eat. It’s also important to remember that when it comes to eating your vegetables the more color the better. Striving to get at least two or three different colors each day will help you get the best

Cabbage (Hey, there’s a reason why people are going crazy over the cabbage soup diet – though that’s not one I recommend)
Leafy Greens – Lettuce, Mixed Greens
Red, Yellow, and Green Peppers
Squash
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Brussels Sprouts
Bean Sprouts (try them on a sandwich – yum!)
Carrots
Zucchini
Onions
Leeks

I know there are more veggies than just these – but this list of best vegetables for dieting is a great start to help you get more vegetables in your diet! Remember: Dieting successfully means you have to actually like what you are eating! If you absolutely hate vegetables, try hiding them in different foods. Sure, it sounds weird at first, but I have tricked my kids into eating many a things by mixing spinach and orange juice together in a blender for example.

Now that you know the best vegetables to eat to lose weight, what are some of your favorites? Share them in the comments below!

These free juicer recipes are a great way to add more fruits and vegetables in your diet – and avoiding beverages with empty calories and no nutritional value. It can also be a lot of fun to start juicing with family and friends and try new things together. You can set up your own juice bar and sample different types with others until you find ones that you really enjoy. One of the best things about juicing is that you can experiment as much as you want – a seemingly unlikely combination of fruits and vegetables can surprise you with a nice sweet and tangy juice unlike any you’ve ever tried in any store!

In addition to our juice recipes for weight loss we’ve decided to add a few other healthy free juicer recipes for you to make and enjoy.

There are many health benefits of juicing. It is believed that by juicing fruits you are able to gain more nutrients and healthy properties of the foods. By including more vegetables and fruits in your diet, you can also ensure you are getting enough natural vitamins and nutrients that your body needs to continue to develop and stay healthy. Vegetarians may also find they enjoy these recipes to add variety and flavor to their regular diet.

Most of these recipes are a rough guide and by no means are limited to making exactly as you see described below. Don’t be afraid to try new things, or add your favorite seasonings. We’ve even seen people make soup and fruit deserts with their juicers, so the possibilities are endless! It’s okay to be creative – that’s part of the fun!

Sweet Potato Cherry Juice
1 cup of cherries, stems and pits removed
1 sweet potato, peeled
1/4 turnip

Juice all ingredients in a juicer and combine, add sweetener to taste.

Super Veggie Juice
2 carrots
1 cup of broccoli
1/2 beet
1/2 red pepper
1 tomato
1/2 cucumber

Juice ingredients and mix together. Makes 2-3 servings

Melon Juice
1 large slice watermelon
1 large slice cantelope
1 large slice honeydew

Remove rinds and juice fruits together.

Strawberry Grapefruit Carrot Juice
1 carrot
1 cup strawberries, tops removed
1 grapefruit, peel removed
1 kiwi

Juice all ingredients and serve and enjoy.

Pineapple Fruit Juice
2 large slices of pineapple
1 cup strawberries
1 orange

Juice ingredients together and serve. (You can also add this to a banana in a blender for a nice smoothie!)

Cucumber Grape Juice
1 Cucumber
1 cup seedless red grapes
1 Carrot

Combine all juices together and serve over ice.

Cranberry Juice
2 cups fresh cranberries
1 orange
1 large slice Pineapple
1 apple
Sugar to Taste

Cranberries are very bitter, so while the other fruits may offset some of the bitterness in this juice, you may still find yourself needing to add a little sugar. (Don’t force yourself to drink it if it is too bitter for your own taste – just add a little sugar or sugar substitute!)

Wheatgrass Sweetie
1 Large Handful of Wheatgrass
1 Cup Spinach
1 Large Slice Pineapple

Using a low RPM masticating or manual juicer, juice the wheatgrass and spinach together. Combine with pineapple juice and enjoy.

Do you have any favorite free juicer recipes to share? We’d love to hear them in the comments below! You may also want to take a look at some of the books available that have even more juice recipes available!

Finding low calorie kid friendly recipes can be difficult when you are trying to lose weight and have small children. Many dieting moms and dads often find they have to cook two meals – one for them, and one for the kids, since most aren’t too keen about eating things like grilled asparagus or spinach chicken salad. Since we know what it’s like to try and diet with a family, we’ve put together a few recipes that both kids and adults with love.

Chelle’s One Pot Veggie Spaghetti
This is one of the higher calorie count foods with around 400 calories per serving, but it does have a good source of all of the food groups and vegetables and protein. Read entire spaghetti recipe here.

Healthy Turkey Meatloaf
A turkey meatloaf has around 100 less calories than one made with ground beef. If you top it with cheese for the kids you might even be able to fool them into thinking it’s a hamburger. Read Turkey Meatloaf Recipe Here.

Ham and Cheese Stromboli
This is easy to make, and has only about 200-300 calories per serving depending on which brands and styles you use.

You will need:
Refrigerated Pizza Dough (for healthier version use whole grain!)
Deli Ham Sliced
Low Fat Shredded Cheese
Broccoli Chopped

Roll out the refrigerated dough and cut into 4 sections. In each section place ham, cheese, and broccoli. Roll up the dough around the toppings, cut small slits in the top (or poke with fork) and bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes or until crust is golden.

Chicken Quesadillas
These are a favorite for many kids and parents will enjoy it as well! Each quesadilla has between 360-420 calories.

You will need:
Cooked chicken breast, cut in strips
Shredded Low Fat Cheddar Cheese
Whole Grain Tortillas
Peppers
Tomatoes
Onions
Lettuce
Salsa

If you have a George Foreman or similiar type of grill, you can make these easily without worrying about added butter or grease. You can also lightly grill them in a standard stove top frying pan using a low fat cooking spray. Simply place the ingredients (except lettuce) inside the tortilla and fold in half. Grill on each side 3-7 minutes until the tortilla is toasted. Slice into wedges and serve with salsa if desired.

Grilled Chicken and Fruit Kabobs
Grilled chicken is easy to make, and kids will love helping make fruit kabobs. If you’re in a hurry, you can also serve fruit salad. Adults can enjoy strawberries and tangerines mixed with a spinach salad while the kids can choose to eat the spinach – or not.

Do you have any tips for diet meals for you when you have picky eaters or children to cook for? Any low calorie kid friendly recipes to share? We’d love to hear them in the comments below!

Knowing the healthiest breakfast cereals will help you make easy choices for breakfast that can be made in just minutes and don’t require any cooking. Walking down the cereal aisles can be pretty intimidating – tons of boxes and different flavors all jumping out to you screaming “Pick Me! I’m the Best!”

To make matters worse, because nutrition is such a concern not only for parents choosing healthy breakfast cereals for their kids, but many people looking for ways to reduce their cholesterol or lose weight, there are many different labels on the box that can not be just confusing but misleading as well. Many boxes of claim to be whole grain but when you look at the ingredients list you’ll see that they also are loaded with sugar or refined grains in addition to the whole grains.

So how do you make the decision to pick the healthiest breakfast cereals? We’ve created a list of 7 nutritious foods to help guide you when making decisions, and based our selections on the following criteria:

Whole Grains: Consuming whole grains have shown to keep your blood sugar levels even as well as shown to help lose weight. You also get more fiber and vitamins from whole grains.

Sugar Density: Sugar comes from a variety of places, such as dried fruit or honey and many cereal manufacturers add sugar to their products to improve the flavor. If the top few ingredients in the cereal include sugar (or some form of it such as corn syrup) and it has more than 15 grams of sugar, it is likely it is not the best choice. Try to stick with organic sweeter cereals, since they likely use unrefined cane sugar or juice.

Protein: Many people overlook protein when choosing a cereal. High protein cereals however will help you get some protein to keep your breakfast balanced, even if you don’t have time for a hard boiled egg. Nuts and whole grains help add to the protein content.

Now that we’ve looked at what makes certain cereals a good choice, here are our top 7 Healthiest Breakfast Cereals:

Instant Oatmeal, Plain: Getting the plain instant oatmeal will help you control how much sugar or sweetener goes into it, since the flavored types usually have more than you really need for good taste. You can add pure maple syrup (please don’t use the substitutes which are nothing but corn syrup!) or even dried apples and cinnamon. There are tons of variations and things you can add to the oatmeal – so don’t be afraid to try something new! Peaches and nuts are one of my favorites. It’s okay to also add a little salt.

Shredded Wheat: Shredded Wheat cereal is made with whole grains, is an excellent source of fiber, and does not have any sugar. You can add fresh or dried fruit to give it some more sweetness. Even the frosted kinds are not incredibly high in sugar, but if you can enjoy the plain varieties it is a much healthier option. There are many organic brands available, such as Arrowhead Mills Organic Shredded Wheat which averages to be about $3.70 a box if you order in bulk online, and it’s vegan, too. (Most others contain gelatin).

Bran Cereal: Bran flakes don’t sound too exciting, but you can add raisins or other dried fruits to naturally make them sweeter without adding too many grams of sugar. Another trick you can use to sweeten them is add a little bit of maple syrup to them. We love just about everything made by Nature’s Path, so if you are looking for a high fiber cereal that does not taste like cardboard, Nature’s Path Organic Smart Bran is a good one to check out. (Just read the reviews – no complaints yet!)

Nature’s Path Flaxseed Cereals: Flaxseed is a great source for Omega 3 fatty acids, which are a good type of fat for your health. Nature’s Path brand makes a number of cereals, with my personal favorites being their Maple Crunch and Pumpkin granola – especially on some coconut yogurt. You can find them in most stores (my local Wal-mart even sells them) – though they too are cheapest when ordered in bulk online. Click Here to See Nature’s Path Flax Cereals

Kashi Go Lean: Kashi cereals tend to be higher in sugar and pretty sweet, but the protein and fiber in them makes up for it enough to be a contender on our list. Unlike a lot of the non-organic cereals you see in the grocery stores, it doesn’t have a ton added ingredients, so it’s a good compromise. But, it is kind of on the expensive side, and not nearly as tasty as some of the other things on this list!

Bob’s Red Mill Mighty Tasty Cereal: This is a hot cereal that will slowly grow on you as being one of your favorites – though at first you may not be too impressed. It’s gluten free, and has some great whole grains that you may not have tried before. I like it with peaches and nuts, but I will also confess my favorite way is to add a few chocolate chips to it – it’s like having a chocolate chip cookie for breakfast, but a lot healthier! You’re supposed to cook it on the stovetop, but I make it in the microwave all the time.

Ezekial 4:9 Organic Golden Flax: If you’re not accustomed to wheat germ or flax, this one may taste a little different to a lot of people. However it is the healthiest, most organic breakfast cereals out there. This one wins the award for most nutritious breakfast cereal ever. It’s very expensive in markets (if you can even find it), thankfully it’s available in bulk if you Order Online. It’s another one of my favorites.

It should be noted that while we did spend several hours researching and reading different nutrition labels that this is not a scientific study or conclusve of all cereals out there. Most of the nutrition data came from either the company’s website or nutritiondata.com where they list labels. I can tell you that I have personally eaten all of these cereals myself and give them my approval for taste

Don’t forget you don’t necessarily have to eat cereal with cow’s milk – they’re also often great on top of yogurt, and I love them with coconut milk, though almond milk is another good substitute as well.

Do you have a favorite one that you feel should be included on our list of top 7 healthies breakfast cereals? Have you tried any of these and want to leave your comments/reviews? We’d love to hear from you in the comment section below.

A healthy turkey meatloaf can be a great alternative to your traditional ground beef meat loaf. This turkey meatloaf recipe is healthy for you and easy for you to learn how to cook!

You will need the following ingredients to cook a turkey meatloaf:
1 pound of ground turkey
1 egg
1/4 cup Italian bread crumbs (you can make your own from grating dry whole grain bread and mixing with Italian spices)
1/4 cup flax seed
1-2 tablespoons of barbecue sauce
1-2 tablespoons of ketchup
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small onion, minced
1/2 cup spinach leaves, minced finely
Tomato Sauce (optional – we know some people like to top their meatloaf with it!)

Directions on How to Cook the Turkey Meatloaf:
Before you get started, preheat your oven to 350 degrees and pull out the pan you will be cooking your meat loaf in. I usually use a square 9×9 glass pan that I line with aluminum foil to make cleaning up later a breeze!

In a large bowl, mix the ground turkey, egg, ketchup, and barbecue sauce. (It’s messy, but easiest to mix if you use your bare hands) Mix in bread crumbs and seasonings.

Shape the meatloaf into a loaf shape that looks sort of like a football and place into the pan.

Next you will want to cover the pan with aluminum foil. Covering the pan with foil will help prevent it from drying out. Turkey meatloaf tends to cook a little bit faster and dry out more quickly than traditional meatloaf made with ground beef because it is very lean. For most ovens you will want to cook it for about 45-50 minutes, depending on if your oven temperature is actually 350 degrees or not. Be careful not to cook it too long, so checking on it often is recommended. You will know the turkey meatloaf is done when the inside is no longer pink and the juices are clear and the internal temperature is 165 degrees. If you are the type who likes tomato sauce on your meatloaf, add it on during the last 5 minutes of baking.

While your healthy turkey meatloaf is cooking, you’ll want to make start preparing whatever sides that you want to serve with dinner. Just about anything goes great with this turkey meatloaf, so pick a few of your favorite vegetables and sides to serve with it for a healthy balanced meal. Here are some ideas for you: Fresh spinach salad, Broccoli, Green Beans, Baked Potato, Cottage Cheese, Asparagus, Brussel Sprouts, Fresh Corn on the Cob, Green and Red Peppers, or Whole grain rice.

Do you have a healthy turkey meatloaf recipe to share? Tell us about it in the comments below!