When it comes to weight management, many people struggle to lose weight and keep it off. Even if you are successful in your weight loss efforts, maintenance can be a challenge and one that requires making healthy lifestyle choices on a regular basis.
Parade spoke to Eleana Kaidanian, RD, CDN, CPT-WFS, an award-winning dietitian and owner of Long Island Nutritionist, a virtual private practice based in New York, to find out what she eats every day to maintain a healthy weight.
The Go-To Food This Dietitian Eats To Maintain Her Weight
Chia seeds are her go-to daily food.
“They are tiny but mighty and a superfood if there ever was one. Chia seeds are a good source of fiber and can complement a snack or a meal to make it more nutritionally balanced,” Kaidanian says.
For instance, if you are having plain non-fat Greek yogurt (a major source of protein), adding chia seeds on top would offer fiber and healthy fats that were missing if having the yogurt by itself. The added fiber and heart-healthy fats will make the combined food more satiating than consuming it without, keeping you fuller longer and less likely to reach for another snack right away. Fiber is rough and tough and takes longer to break down into energy than refined or simple carbohydrates which is why it keeps you fuller longer, Kaidanian explains.
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Chia seeds also have a high omega-3 profile—greater than flaxseeds, even—which is good to note since there aren't many other foods that contain it, making chia seeds an easy way to incorporate this nutrient into your diet. Omega-3 fatty acids are an essential nutrient, meaning your body doesn't make it, and it needs to come from food sources.
Chia seeds are affordable, plant-based and user-friendly—meaning you can add them to meals (salad dressings, coat your baked salmon with them), snacks (yogurts/oatmeals, chia puddings) and even beverages as a boost to your everyday nutrition, Kaidanian adds. They can also be used in their dry form, powdered form and hydrated gel form making them a versatile ingredient with different texture abilities.
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Another recommendation Kaidanian has is kefir—a gut-healthy food that can be used in various recipes or enjoyed on its own. “Kefir is a liquid yogurt that is 99 percent lactose-free while offering protein, calcium, probiotics and electrolytes,” says Kaidanian. “There are few foods that offer probiotics and Kefir is a great source that can be used daily if not multiple times a week based on your preference and usage.”
However, with most dairy options, Kaidanian recommends plain/unflavored to avoid any added sugars and non-nutritive calories. Kefir is ideal for a smoothie base since, unlike Greek yogurt, it does not need to be thinned out.
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Foods She Avoids
Kaidanian steers clear of ultra-processed foods. Foods such as soda, french fries and shelf-stable baked goods like donuts, pastries or cookies have little or no nutrients, Kaidanian states.
"These foods are often concentrated with either sodium and poor quality oils (such as with french fries) or concentrated with refined sugar, additives (soda) and refined grains (shelf-stable baked goods) which promote inflammation, cravings, heightened sweet threshold and have no positive health outcomes," she explains. "They often trigger increased appetite as they offer empty calories that are not filling but result in undesirable weight gain and a sugar rush followed by a crash."
Next up: Here's What Happens to Your Body If You Eat Peanut Butter Every Day
Sources
- Eleana Kaidanian, RD, CDN, CPT-WFS, an award-winning dietitian and owner of Long Island Nutritionist, a virtual private practice based in New York
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