Eat more food. But make it the healthy kind. Think about adding vegetables, fruit, and some whole grains into your diet rather that focusing on what you shouldn’t eat and what you should take out.
We’ve all had the kind of day when it seems that your stomach is a bottomless pit and you can’t stop eating everything in sight. But the amount of food your body can take in is not infinite. At some point you simply have to stop eating.
When you load up on fruit, veggies, and whole intact grains that are rich in fiber and nutrients you help to displace — or “crowd out” — some of the foods in your diet that are higher in fat, sugar, and calories. And, as a bonus, you get the incredible benefits of all of the antioxidants and phytochemicals in the rainbow of produce that you add, plus the additional fiber to help keep you full.
Some Crowding Out Tips
- If you fill your body with healthy, nutrient-dense food, you’ll find that your cravings for unhealthy foods will naturally decrease.
- Try drinking a lot of water and eating whole food that’s naturally stocked with nutrients earlier in the day. It will help crowd out potential cravings later on in the day.
- Think outside the box, too. You don’t have to focus on adding side dishes of vegetables or fruit salad for dessert. Add veggies into your main dish – plump up burgers, meatloaf, or meatballs with chopped vegetables and/or some whole grains. Add cauliflower to mac and cheese. Mix fruit into your yogurt or oatmeal or use it as a topping for chicken or fish. Get creative!