Eat healthier with more protein and less calories

Protein-rich foods keep you full longer, help preserve lean muscle mass, and are usually loaded with vitamins and minerals. We'll share some tips on how to pack more protein into your diet and consume fewer calories overall.

1. Putting lean protein on your plate delivers an immediate payoff: meats, low-fat cheeses, eggs, and nuts linger longer in your stomach than bread, rice, fruit, or veggies, and help you feel full longer.
2. Protein slows the absorption of sugar into your bloodstream, eliminating the cravings that occur when blood sugar crashes after a carb-heavy meal.
3. Lean protein is a rich source of the B vitamins that help guide metabolic reactions throughout the body and help you feel more energetic. You also get zinc, which builds strong immunity, and niacin, which is vital for clear thinking and efficient processing of blood sugar.
4. Protein's biggest bonus is preserving lean muscle mass. We all lose muscle mass at the rate of three to five percent per decade starting in our mid-twenties. By our fifties and sixties, we may be weaker, have poorer balance, and have slower metabolisms. Protein contains an amino acid called leucine that helps preserve this muscle mass.

• To consume fewer calories, you don't need to eat less food or feel hungry. Fruits, veggies, and beans are filling and satisfying yet contain far fewer calories than fatty foods.
• Stop eating at about 80% "fullness," rather than when you get that button-bursting "stuffed" feeling. It takes about 20 minutes for the body to signal the brain that there's no need for more food, so eating slowly and stopping before you're stuffed gives your brain time to catch up.
• By following a diet filled with low-calorie, high-satisfaction produce and using cooking techniques that substitute water for fatty cooking oils, you can consume significantly fewer calories each day.
• Fewer calories mean lower body weight and less of the dangerous abdominal fat that raises risk for heart disease, stroke, diabetes, high blood pressure, and even some cancers. Additionally, living at a healthy weight puts less stress on joints and may reduce the levels of cell-damaging free radicals in your body.

• Meals among the world's healthiest people are long, happy occasions. In Greece, the nation's official dietary guidelines include advice to "eat slowly, preferably at regular times of the day, and in a pleasant environment."
• Enjoying food is almost as important as the nutrients in the food itself. And meals don't need to be fancy or expensive to be cherished and savoured.

Lean protein is filling, nutritious, and tasty. By adding more sources of lean protein into your diet, you can cut back on calories and reap the benefits of a healthier weight, all while enjoying every bite.