Foods With Positive Impact

Soups
Soup is good for you! Maybe not the canned varieties from the store – but old-fashioned,
homemade soup promotes weight loss. A study by Dr. John Foreyt of Baylor College of Medicine in
Houston, Texas, found that dieters who ate a bowl of soup before lunch and dinner lost more weight
than dieters who didn’t. In fact, the more soup they ate, the more weight they lost. And soup eaters
tend to keep the weight off longer.
Naturally, the type of soup you eat makes a difference. Cream soups or those made of beef or pork
are not your best bets. But here’s a great recipe:
Slice three large onions, three carrots, four stalks of celery, one zucchini and one yellow squash.
Place in a kettle. Add three cans crushed tomatoes, two packets low-sodium chicken bouillon, three
cans water and one cup white wine (optional). Add tarragon, basil, oregano, thyme and garlic
powder. Boil, then simmer for an hour. Serves six.

Spinach                                                                                                                                            Popeye really knew what he was talking about, according to Dr. Richard Shekelle, an
epidemiologist at the University of Texas. Spinach has the ability to lower cholesterol, rev up the
metabolism and burn away fat. Rich in iron, beta carotene and vitamins C and E, it supplies most of
the nutrients you need.

Tofu
You just can’t say enough about this health food from Asia. Also called soybean curd, it’s basically
tasteless, so any spice or flavoring you add blends with it nicely. A 2½ ” square has 86 calories and
nine grams of protein. (Experts suggest an intake of about 40 grams per day.) Tofu contains calcium
and iron, almost no sodium and not a bit of saturated fat. It makes your metabolism run on high and
even lowers cholesterol. With different varieties available, the firmer tofus are goof for stir-frying or
adding to soups and sauces while the softer ones are good for mashing, chopping and adding to
salads.

Yogurt
The non-fat variety of plain yogurt has 120 calories per cup and low-fat, 144. It delivers a lot of
protein and , like any dairy food, is rich in calcium and contains zinc and riboflavin.
Yogurt is handy as a breakfast food – cut a banana into it and add the cereal of your choice.
You can find ways to use it in other types of cooking, to – sauces, soups, dips, toppings, stuffings
and spreads. Many kitchen gadget departments even sell a simple funnel for making yogurt cheese.
Yogurt can replace heavy creams and whole milk in a wide range of dishes, saving scads of fat and
calories.

You can substitute half or all of the higher fat ingredients. Be creative. For example, combine
yogurt, garlic powder, lemon juice, a dash of pepper and Worcestershire sauce and use it to top a
baked potato instead of piling on fat-laden sour cream.
Supermarkets and health food stores sell a variety of yogurts, many with added fruit and sugar. To
control calories and fat content, buy plain non-fat yogurt and add fruit yourself. Apple butter or fruit
spreads with little or no added sugar are an excellent way to turn plain yogurt into a delectable
sweet treat.