8 Drinks That Make Dieting Easier

Having trouble sticking to your diet? Consider accompanying your meals with these drinks to keep you on track.

1. Ginger Tea

Craving a warm beverage? Try some ginger tea.

A 2010 study published in the British Journal of Nutrition found that consuming ginger can help fight cravings and lessen your appetite. If you’re feeling peckish, have a cup of ginger tea before you decide it’s snack time.

2. Green Tea

Not a ginger fan? Green tea may have a similar effect. The catechins in green tea, specifically, have been linked with weight loss, as they give a slight boost to the metabolism. While black teas may have a similar effect, green tea contains more catechins, and was shown to produce greater weight loss than teas of any other variety.

3. Flavored Water

This doesn’t mean the store-bought kind that contains tons of sugar. If you find yourself growing bored of plain old water (or if you don’t like the taste of the stuff you’ve got on tap), add a few slices of fruit to a pitcher of water (or a single cup) to spice things up a little.

Citrus like lemon or lime are basic favorites, but find your favorite and go with it! We recommend cucumber, melon, and berries to keep things interesting.

4. Coffee

Caffeine can give you a short term metabolism boost while simultaneously suppressing your appetite, so that’s good news for coffee drinkers! One caveat: adding cream and sugar to your brew can totally undo any benefits you might incur, so stick to black coffee whenever possible.

5. Vegetable Juice

While fruit juice can be loaded with sugars, vegetable juice can give you an extra nutrient boost, and potentially help you eat less during meals. Make sure to read your labels, though – you want to find a vegetable juice that’s low in sugar and sodium, and high in fiber to keep you feeling full. If in doubt, make your own using a blender or juicer!

6. Coconut Water

This tropical beverage is all the rage in health circles, and some studies have shown that this may be with good reason. An animal study discovered that drinking coconut water may aid in the processing of fats, which could, in the long run, potentially lead to increased weight loss.

7. Yogurt-Based Smoothies

Studies have shown a strong association between adding yogurt to your diet and losing weight. The trick is to watch your calorie consumption.

If you can easily substitute a fruit and yogurt smoothie for a meal or snack and feel satisfied, it’s a good option to pack in some healthy nutrients and help you feel full. If you finish your smoothie and reach for more food, this might just be a way of drinking more calories than you need.

8. “Cheats”

While you should stick to them in moderation, occasionally indulging in a higher calorie beverage isn’t going to totally wreck your diet; in fact, it may help you stick to your diet, because you may feel less like you’re denying yourself life’s simple pleasures.

Whenever possible, stick to lower calorie options. Light beer and fancy coffee drinks made with less sugar and low-fat milks might mean the difference between a small indulgence now and a huge binge later.

What are your favorite diet drinks? Share your ideas in the comments section!

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