Fruits are nature’s ready-made snacks packed with vitamins, fibre, and other minerals that support a balanced diet. You can enjoy them anywhere and anytime, whether for breakfast, lunch, dinner or between meals.
Talking about the benefits of fruits in the weight loss journey is enormous. Amongst them, the unique fat-burning properties of oranges make them ideal for your weight loss journey. In addition, oranges deliver a potent dose of vitamin C. They are naturally low in calories and high in fibre, making them a smart choice if you’re attempting to lose weight.
Oranges are simple to include in a diet, which makes weight loss easier and healthier. In addition, using oranges for juice, smoothies, and even salads is nutritious.
Below, we’ll detail why oranges might help you lose weight better than expensive superfoods.
What’s Behind Oranges & Weight Loss
Somehow, though, we take the ubiquitous sweet orange for granted. The humble but orange is an oldie but a goodie. There’s no end to the ways you can use oranges for a fresh twist on your weight-loss diet. Here are some benefits of orange that make it great for weight loss:
High in Fibre and Low in Calories
The good news is that oranges are naturally low in calories and high in fibre, which is necessary for weight loss. In addition, as per a study, choosing foods high in fibre is associated with lower body weight. They make you feel fuller for longer and be less inclined to go for more food.
Oranges will help you keep your daily calorie intake low. Per 100 grams of serving, these fruits have 2.4 grams of fibre. One orange is an excellent source of fibre for your daily requirements because it weighs 184 grams on average. In addition, the fibre content may fill you up if you eat an orange before a meal, helping you to consume a lower portion of food overall.
Increased fibre intake will also maintain regular bowel motions, lessening bloating and gastrointestinal problems. Healthy digestion is essential for losing weight and having overall excellent health.
High Water Content
Since oranges are roughly 86% water, they help increase your hydration levels and satiate you. Many people mistakenly believe they are hungry when they are thirsty and dehydrated. Eating fruits with high water content is an easy way to reduce sugar and calories.
Suppress Your Sweet Cravings
Fruits are sweet by nature. Since oranges are the ideal combination of tangy and sweet, eating one when you desire something sweet can help satisfy your cravings. Also, it prevents you from reaching for a box of cookies or ice cream.
Rich in Vitamin C
Vitamin C is essential for healthy body functioning and may help you lose weight successfully. Those who lack vitamin C may find it more challenging to lose fat mass.
Fresh fruits packed in fibre and vitamin C, such as oranges, support the metabolism to keep going on at a reasonable rate. In addition, the flavonoid content in the humble orange can increase the calories expended and reverse the symptoms of obesity.
The HealthifyMe Note
Oranges come with few calories but many minerals, flavonoids, and fibre, which can increase your feeling of fullness. In addition, over 90% of the recommended daily vitamin C intake and more than 11% of the recommended daily fibre are in one orange. Therefore, you can easily add one or two oranges to your daily diet. But to maintain a healthy and long-term weight loss, you should also aim for a balanced, whole-food-based diet.
Ways to Use Orange for Weight Loss
Don’t start guzzling cartons of pasteurised orange juice to lose weight. First, you need to consider the amount of sugar, fibre, and calorie content lurking in the packaged content.
A single glass of orange juice contains much more sugar and twice the calories than the fruit from which it comes. For those looking to lose weight, the fruit itself is the better bet since much of the fibre in oranges gets lost during juicing. Plus, it does get hard to control yourself when it comes to portioning juices. Just think!
When you start gulping down cups of orange juice, the sugar can get out of control. For example, drinking 6 cups of juice may be easier, but eating six oranges in one sitting is not easy, helping you stop when needed. Consider choosing a smoothie instead of packaged orange juice if you want to consume all the fibre and nutrients from the entire fruit.
One of the best ways to aid weight loss by using oranges is making herbal tea out of peels. All you need is fresh or dried orange peels. If you don’t mind the bitter taste, grind them into powder. If not, then chop them up. Add one teaspoon of this powder to some water and let it brew for some time.
Let the peels steep for about 10 minutes, and your orange peel tea is ready! You may add orange peel powder to salads, yoghurt, and smoothies.
The HealthifyMe Note
Eating an entire orange helps in portion control. And much of the fibre is lost in the juicing process. But if you like a cup of orange juice in the morning, try making it into a smoothie. Orange smoothies with pulp contain much more fibre than juice without pulp, so you can reap the weight-loss benefits and keep sugar under control.
Orange Recipes to Try for Weight Loss
Ginger Orange Detoxifying Juice
Serves: 2
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Ingredients
- Small Oranges: 4
- Ginger: 3-inch stick
- Water: 300 ml
Method of Preparation
- Cut oranges in half and remove the seeds.
- Add oranges and ginger to a blender and make it puree.
- Add water and pulse one last time.
- Strain the juice and mix well.
Orange Apple Smoothie
Serves: 1
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Ingredients
- Apple (peeled and cut into chunks): 1
- Banana (peeled and sliced): 1
- Orange (peeled and separated into segments): 1
- Greek yoghurt: ½ cup
Method of Preparation
- To the blender, add the apple, orange, and banana.
- Blend everything until it’s smooth, then add the greek yoghurt.
- Serve and enjoy!
Nutty Orange Smoothie
Serves: 1
Preparation Time: 25 minutes
Ingredients
- Small Oranges: 2
- Bananas, frozen and sliced: 1
- Carrots, sliced: ½
- Soaked almonds: 3
- Ice as required
Method of Preparation
- To your blender, add all the ingredients.
- Blend until smooth.
- Please keep it in the refrigerator for 20 minutes. Serve it chilled.
Conclusion
Next time you’re looking for a sugar hit, grab an orange instead of a sugary snack. Oranges are sweet and naturally low in calories, making them an excellent weight-loss snack. However, your body needs a balance of nutrients that may not be present in a single fruit good for weight loss. Therefore, eating right, exercising regularly, and monitoring your caloric intake when trying to lose weight are essential.
