A team of Harvard scientists has published a study in the New England Journal of Medicine identifying factors related to weight loss and weight gain. The take-away for those of us who may not have time to wade through an article in a medical journal–they’ve identified 5 foods associated with weight gain and 5 foods associated with weight loss. (My favorite thing about this study is how every story on this study, ours included, mentions right away that they’re from Harvard. I mean if these scientists were at Johns Hopkins Medical School, you could maybe ignore them. Unfortunately, they’re at Harvard, so you have to listen.).
If you’ve got your fingers crossed that beer is on the weight loss list and raw kale’s on the weight gain list, I have bad news for you–the study doesn’t reveal anything terribly shocking. The weight gain foods are ones that you know aren’t that good for you and the weight loss foods are ones you already know are healthy. Still, it helps to have it all laid out in clear terms.
So what are the unhealthy foods and what can you substitute for them? What are some dishes you can make to incorporate the healthy ones? Get the information you need after the jump.
Foods That Most Contribute to Weight Gain
#1 Worst for weight gain: potato chips Try pop-chips or kale chips instead.
#2 Worst for weight gain: potatoes Try creamy corn polenta instead.
#3 Worst for weight gain: sugar-sweetened beverages Try a refreshing mango lime smoothie instead.
#4 Worst for weight gain: unprocessed red meat Try a veggie enchiladas instead.
#5 Worst for weight gain: processed red meat Try using smaller quantities of meat for flavor, like in bucatini amatriciana with bacon.
Foods That Most Contribute to Weight Loss
#1 Food for weight loss: yogurt Try whole wheat lemon yogurt waffles.
#2 Food for weight loss: nuts Try some California walnut trail mix
#3 Food for weight loss: fruits Try a colorful cantaloupe salad.
#4 Food for weight loss: whole grains Try some whole wheat pancakes with dried cherries.
#5 Food for weight loss: vegetables Try an asparagus and ramp quiche.
