Cucumbers
Cucumbers don’t score high nutritionally but they are high in water and have very few calories making them ideal for weight loss. Cool down over the summer by bulking up your salad with cucumbers to give you a nice full feeling. Instead of reaching for the potato chips or crackers, have cucumbers as a crunchy snack. Make it easy by preparing in advance! Fresh unpeeled cucumbers can be stored in the refrigerator for about a week or you can peel and cut a cucumber and store it in the refrigerator for about a day. Storing a few cucumbers and cutting them up for the next day will help you resist the temptation for unhealthy snacks when you open your refrigerator. When buying a cucumber, it must be firm and dark green.
Watermelon
No other fruit says summer like the delectable thirst quenching watermelon. Not only are watermelons a great tasting snack, they help you lose weight while boosting your nutritional intake. Watermelons have lots of water and are high in beta-carotene, vitamin C, potassium, and magnesium. People assume that because watermelon is so sweet that it is high in sugar. With only 50 calories per cup, watermelon is a perfect treat in the hot summer to keep you hydrated and help fill you up. When picking a watermelon, look for one that is deep in colour and does not have many or any white marks on it. Cut up watermelon and place in a container in the refrigerator for a quick snack.
Lentils
Lentils are packed with fibre which helps satisfy hunger and reduces appetite. Eating them will give you the full feeling you need to avoid reaching for those high-calorie snacks. Since lentils take very little time to prepare and cook, they are a great choice in the summer when you are looking to stay out of the hot kitchen. Sprinkle cooked lentils over a garden salad or mix with chopped peppers and peas and serve as a cold salad. Half a cup of cook lentils provide 4.5 grams of fibre. For optimal health and weight loss, women should aim to have 25 grams of fibre per day and men should have 38 grams per day.
Lemons
According to experts, drinking water with lemon helps speed up weight loss. Stimulate your gastric juices and help digestion by drinking a glass of water with a half squeezed lemon, 20 to 30 minutes before meals. This will also help decrease your appetite and prevent overeating. Try starting your day with warm lemon water before breakfast to get your metabolism going for the day.
