As if you need convincing to eat more sweet, delicious pineapple during the summer months, it’s a surprisingly perfect fruit for weight loss: One cup of chunks has just 82 calories, and is sweet enough to satisfy any dessert craving. That cup also packs 131 percent of your daily Vitamin C, and comes with minerals including potassium, folate and manganese. Pineapple is a delicious way to lose weight fast.
So chop some up and enjoy—and then try these seven other healthy ways to savor pineapple this summer:
1. As a protein-packed Pina Colada:
Sweet, delicious blender drinks don’t just have to be for by the pool—you can enjoy one any time and get filling, muscle-building protein in the process with this simple pina colada protein smoothie.
You’ll need:
• 1 serving Vanilla Nutrisystem Shake mix (click here to stock up! >)
• 1 cup of ice
• 1/2 cup of pineapple juice or 1 cup fresh pineapple chunks
• 3 drops of coconut extract
To make it: Mix all the ingredients in the blender for 30 to 60 seconds, or until smooth. If using fresh pineapple, you may need a splash of water. Enjoy right away.
On Nutrisystem, counts as: 1 PowerFuel and 1 SmartCarb.
Here’s a video that shows you how to make it:
2. As an easy frozen treat:
If you love ice cream, make a pile of these frozen yogurt pineapple popsicles for whenever a sweet, creamy craving strikes.
Mix together four cups of nonfat plain yogurt with one cup of pineapple juice and two cups of fresh pineapple cut into chunks. Pour these into four popsicle molds (or paper cups with sticks) and freeze for four or more hours. One serving is one popsicle.
On Nutrisystem, counts as: 1 PowerFuel and 1 SmartCarb.
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3. As a warm, gooey grilled dessert:
Grilling already sweet fruits like watermelon, peaches, and pineapples bring out even more of the naturally sweet flavors, and make an incredible—yet on-plan—dessert option for summer barbecues. And the built-in hole in a pineapple ring is the perfect receptacle for making it an even more refreshing dessert—by filling it with frozen yogurt. This is the perfect weight loss treat for your diet plan.
Start by freezing plain, nonfat yogurt in one cup servings. Spray the grill with nonstick spray, and then place the pineapple rings on top. Let them cook for about 15 seconds on each side, or until they get TV cooking show-worthy grill lines, then flip. Cook for 15 seconds more.
Top two rings with the cup of frozen yogurt, and then add the kicker: Sprinkle on one tablespoon of unsweetened coconut flakes. This is considered one serving.
On Nutrisystem, counts as: 1 SmartCarb, 1 PowerFuel and 1 Extra
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Read More4. As a cool, creamy two-ingredient slush:
This ridiculously simple pineapple whip has all the refreshment of a Sno-Cone without a visit from the ice cream truck (because, honestly, who still gets a visit from one?) and just two ingredients: Blend together four cups of frozen pineapple chunks with one cup of unsweetened almond milk (plain or vanilla flavored). And … well, there’s no and. That’s it. Those two ingredients make four delicious servings.
On Nutrisystem, counts as: 1 SmartCarb
Here’s a video that shows you how to make it:
5. As a healthy flavor booster for your daily water:
There are myriad reasons to drink lots of water while you’re trying to lose weight. Studies have shown that drinking water throughout the day, before a meal, after waking up—all can lead to increased weight loss success. So, too, has drinking it really cold: Because your body has to warm the water up to your body temperature to digest it, it’s one of very few foods or beverages that has negative caloric impact on your diet making it an easy way to lose weight.
But for many, it can be boring. Adding flavored ice cubes or slices of cucumber to the pitcher can turn that bland glass into something worth savoring. To do it with pineapple, try blending one half-cup of pineapple chunks with half a blender of water. Pour the resulting blend into ice cube trays, and try one with your next big glass.
#HealthyHowTo: Make Flavored Ice Cubes
Read More6. As you pretend you’re at a tropical hotel with a quick, easy juice cocktail:
When you check into a beautiful hotel in a tropical locale, the waitstaff brings a juice cocktail to start the trip—it’s sweet, delicious, and kickstarts your time off with a dash of class.
But that feeling doesn’t have to be for once yearly or once-in-a-lifetime trips: You can make the same kind of cocktail for yourself at home, easily—and it can fit in with your weight loss plans.
For real luxury, try making yours with fresh-squeezed juices: Use a blender to blend up one cup of pineapple, then strain it to get the juice (or, if you have a juicer, use that). Mix a half cup of this pineapple juice with a half cup of fresh-squeezed orange juice. Mix that with a half cup of water and drop in a fresh cherry. Stir it up, and enjoy. Each half-cup is considered one serving.
On Nutrisystem, counts as: 1 SmartCarb
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Read More7. For breakfast in these pineapple upside-down banana pancakes:
It’s like a guilt-free cake for breakfast, takes just a few minutes, and has no flour or added sugar. A delicious way to lose weight! This recipe makes eight pancakes. Two pancakes count as one serving.
You’ll need:
• 2 ripe bananas
• 4 whole eggs
• 8 fresh or canned pineapple rings
To make it:
1. Mash the bananas in a large bowl.
2. Mix the mashed bananas with the 4 eggs until you have a thinner, pancake-like batter.
3. Heat a pan over medium and spray with zero-calorie cooking spray.
4. Pour in 1/4 cup batter. Cook for about 30 seconds, then place a pineapple ring on top.
5. Cook for 60 more seconds, then flip.
6. Cook this opposite side for 60-90 more seconds.
On Nutrisystem, counts as: 1 PowerFuel and 1 SmartCarb
The post 7 Delicious Ways to Eat Pineapple this Season appeared first on The Leaf.
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