When finding a healthy eating plan that works for you, it's often a fine balance (eat more of this and less of that, and so forth). Up until a few years ago, I was personally able to eat most of what I wanted without gaining weight—but that meant I wasn't eating anywhere near as healthily as I should have been (aka I was having chips for dinner). I'm actually thankful that my metabolism finally caught up with me and my poor eating habits, so now I'm always on the hunt for powerhouse items to add to my diet like high-fiber low-carb foods that will keep me in shape and feeling good.
"Following a low-carb diet tends to promote weight loss at a faster rate," explains Juliana Shalek, MS, RD, CDN, and founder of The Nutrition Suite. "Cutting carbohydrates reduces blood glucose and insulin levels, which in turn minimizes fat storage in the body." Shalek says that it can be very motivating for those who have tried and been unsuccessful using other weight-loss methods like calorie-counting in the past.
This nut is high in protein, too. "But be mindful of the serving size because they are high in fat," warns Shalek. That's why she suggests choosing unsalted almonds no matter whether you're eating them whole, sliced, or shaved.