The More You Chew, the Smaller Your Pants?

Packing your sandwiches with lots of crunchy bits could be good news for your waist.

That's right. When your diet is stuffed with difficult-to-chew foods, you increase your odds of a littler middle. So stack lots of crunchy cabbage, cucumber slices, and sprouts in those wraps and subs.

Jaws of Lite
Soft, creamy foods may be a comfort, but the foods we're genetically designed for -- the hard and crunchy ones our ancestors thrived on -- are better for our health and waistlines, studies show. So give your jaw a little workout at each meal. (Read this article and learn why your waist circumference is so important.)

Crunchy and Nutritious
The benefits of "hard" diets probably have something to do with what is usually found in hearty, chewy, crunchy foods -- less fat and calories and more fiber. It's certainly true for chewy eggplant and mushrooms, hearty broccoli and cabbage, and crunchy apples, carrots, and leaf lettuces. And yes, raw is best! (Here are three great ways to dress your raw or lightly steamed veggies.)

Hardness (difficulty of chewing) of the habitual diet in relation to body mass index and waist circumference in free-living Japanese women aged 18-22 y. Murakami, K. et al., American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2007 July;86(1):206-213.