How to Lose Weight With Sauerkraut

Steer clear of fad diets and consider using practical advice for healthy eating and weight loss -- eat your vegetables. Sauerkraut is a low-calorie food that may complement your weight-loss plan. With 15 calories in two-thirds of a cup, this fermented cabbage does not have to be paired with fatty foods to add taste and nutrition to your diet.

A large bowl of freshly prepared sauerkraut. (Image: ChamilleWhite/iStock/Getty Images)

Step 1

Make important nutritional considerations when choosing your sauerkraut, such as sodium content, calories and size of serving. You can be creative and purchase heads of cabbage fresh and make your own sauerkraut.

Step 2

Eat a serving of sauerkraut when you are hungry between meals. Sauerkraut is what the Mayo Clinic refers to as a low-energy density food -- significant food mass containing few overall calories. Place a serving of sauerkraut in a microwavable bowl and heat it for about 40 seconds.

Step 3

Add sauerkraut to lunch and dinner meals. It pairs with almost any protein, including sausage, chicken and lean cuts of beef. Adding sauerkraut to your meals will increase overall fiber content, with each 2/3-cup serving providing 3.1 g of fiber. Dietary fiber will fill you up quickly and suppress hunger pangs.

Step 4

Drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water daily. Sauerkraut is made by fermenting the cabbage in a brine solution for weeks. The residual brine on the cabbage tends to pack a punch of sodium in each serving. Flush the excess sodium out of your body by staying hydrated.

Things You'll Need

• Sauerkraut

• Water

Tip

Eat sauerkraut with skinless poultry, fish and lean cuts of meat for the best weight-loss strategy.

Warning

Do not exceed the recommended dietary allowance of 2,300 mg of sodium daily, according to the American Heart Association. A preferable daily sodium intake is less than 1,500 mg.