The Leaf | Healthy Weight Loss Blog

Feel like a fajita? Sure! Craving a quesadilla? Go for it. Yup, you can even have fish tacos and crispy nachos. And nope, we’re not going loco. Some Mexican dishes may not be very diet-friendly (full-fat cheese and sour cream, we’re looking at you!). But with some simple tweaks and substitutions, you can still enjoy those unique and inspired south-of-the-border flavors without derailing your health goals. Check out these figure-friendly, mucho yummy recipes for quick mid-week meals, tasty snacks and crowd-pleasing apps. Helpful hint: Just click on the name of the dish, its image or the link in the caption to access the full recipe. Mexican recipes that get the food fiesta started: 1. 10-Minute Shrimp Fajitas > You get shrimp that’s crisped and coated in cumin, chili powder and smoked paprika, along with brightly colored bell pepper slices and sweet onions—all roasted to perfection in 10 tiny, little minutes. Wrap all that deliciousness up in a warm whole wheat tortilla for th...

Is your kitchen sabotaging your weight loss? It might be, say a raft of scientific studies. How? You can probably figure it out yourself.  Ice cream calling from the freezer. Cookie jar on the counter. Comfy stools around a kitchen island luring you to linger. Let’s face it, most kitchens are Temptation City. The good news: There are simple kitchen hacks for weight loss that can lead to diet success. 7 High Protein Foods that Aren’t Chicken Read More Here are 10 kitchen hacks for weight loss that science—and a little common sense—recommends: 1. Keep a bowl of fruit on the counter. The presence of fruit in plain sight was linked to lower BMI (body mass index, a measure of obesity) in two 2016 studies that looked at real kitchen counters in Syracuse, NY and measured height and weight of home occupants. More important than storing fruit on the counter is what NOT to store there. When candy, cereal, soft drinks and dried fruit were visible on kitchen counters, study particip...

Sometimes we all crave a little crunch. In fact, there is some research behind the idea that “crunch factor” matters when it comes to how much we enjoy a food. Research funded by Unilever found that potato chips were perceived as being both crisper and fresher when the overall sound level (of the crunch) was higher. But turning to greasy store-bought potato chips every time you crave that crunch will undoubtedly start to have a negative impact on your waistline. That’s why we’ve rounded up these simple, healthy chips that are full of nutritious ingredients—but will still help fulfill that urge for a crispy crunchy food. 10 Tasty Snacks Under 200 Calories Read More Here are 10 healthy chips to try out when you have a crunch craving: 1. BBQ Sweet Potato Chips >  Sweet potatoes are high in fiber, vitamin C, potassium, manganese and more! If you’re looking for healthy chips, then switching to sweet potatoes is the way to go. Of course, store-bought sweet potato chips may ...