Eating an abundance and variety of veggies is arguably the surest way to become a biologic fortress and master weight control. In addition to dazzling your taste buds, salads offer an unprecedented opportunity to tap into the health virtues of veggies, fully exploiting this remarkable food group so you can feel full without filling out.
Did you know that salads, dressed with an olive oil-based vinaigrette, can quiet your hunger in six different ways?! Here’s how:
- Volume. When it comes to satisfying appetite, volume actually trumps calories. Veggies’ “high volume” nature (from their rich fiber and water content) more readily fills the stomach, barely making a dent in your calorie quota.
- Texture Variety. The greater the texture complexity in a dish, the more effectively it quiets appetite. A variety of delicious salad veggies in a broad array of textures and mouth feel from smooth to crispy to crunchy to juicy can all make their way simultaneously into your mouth.
- Healthy Fats. The healthy fats in the olive oil slow stomach emptying, which keeps you feeling fuller longer.
- Oleic Acid. As oils go, olive oil is uniquely rich in oleic acid. This special fatty acid triggers a more rapid and robust release of the “feel full” hormone, CCK.
- Acetic Acid. The vinegar’s acetic acid can slow stomach emptying (again, helping you feel full longer), dampen appetite-promoting blood glucose spikes, and even kick up metabolism a bit.
- Lots of Mouth Work. Raw vegetables require lots of chewing, which prolongs the time food engages with the mouth and slows down your eating both of which have been scientifically validated to help you eat less.
Take Dr. Ann to the Grocery Store! Order your own copy of her popular Eat Right for Life (or any variety) Grocery Guide.
