Learn more about what types of foods you should focus on while on Semaglutide weight loss treatments.
Semaglutide is the ingredient inside the medications Ozempic, Wegovy, and Rybelsus. These medications are very popular, and are touted for their abilities to help people lose weight or manage diabetes.
And, while this medication does a pretty good job at these things, it is still meant to be paired with a healthy diet. The food choices you make while using Semaglutide can make all the difference. Your food choices can help adjust how intense your side effects are, and even how well the medication ultimately ends up working for your diabetes or weight loss goals.
Instead of saying what to avoid (i.e.; fatty, fried, greasy, processed, high glycemic index, high sugar foods), we will focus on 7 food types to fill your diet with during your Semaglutide treatment.
Since you may be eating a smaller volume of food, and not feel very hungry at all, it is extra important for you to focus on getting in enough lean protein. Not only will hitting your protein goals help you feel satiated and have enough energy, but getting enough protein can help protect you from losing too much lean muscle mass as you slim down.
This may look like leans meats and eggs, or tofu, beans, seitan, and tempeh if you are plant-based. Even if you are an omnivore, mixing in plenty of plant-based proteins can be a good way to up your protein without ramping up your cholesterol and saturated fat intake.
Pro tip: Pair eating enough lean protein with strength-training exercises to maintain your lean muscle mass even more.
High-fiber foods can be a great way to stay regular and trim. Not only does fiber help you feel full, but it helps provide prebiotics for healthy gut flora, and keeps everything moving along in your digestive tract. Semaglutide medications can slow everything down in the digestion department, including hindering regularity. So, high-fiber foods like nearly all whole plant foods are a must. As a bonus, high-fiber whole foods tend to be packed with nutrients like vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
Eating more veggies can be a great thing to pair with your lean proteins while using Semaglutide medications. Not only are they packed with vitamins and minerals and fiber, they are also naturally low in calories.
Almost all veggies get the green light. Although, you may want to limit starchy more blood-sugar-spiking veggies like potatoes and sweet corn.
Fruit is great and packs a nutritional punch with vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants. Plus, they can be a great way to satisfy a sweet treat craving in a healthier way.
Most fruits are great to eat when in their whole, unprocessed form. Although, you might want to avoid fruits like mango, ripe bananas, pineapples, and dried fruits. These come along with a higher glycemic index, meaning they can spike your blood sugar.
Most other fruits can be great choices, just go with eating them whole, skin and all. The fiber content in fruits helps slow how fast the sugar gets into your bloodstream and makes it healthier. In contrast, juice removes all fiber from fruits, and it is a less healthy option for diabetes and weight loss efforts.
Now that you are planning on having lean proteins, and high-fiber veggies and fruits on your plate, you might want to consider adding in some whole grains to round out your meals. When left in their unprocessed state, grains and less-processed carbohydrates can be a nutritious addition to your diet. Whole grains contain fiber, vitamins, and minerals, and help nourish healthy gut bacteria for good digestion.
Opt for brown rice over white, whole wheat pasta over regular, seeded wheat breads, and spice up your grain choices by trying quinoa or other whole grains.
Semaglutide medication may leave you feeling queasy and dehydrated. If you are in this boat, opting for high-water-content foods can help hydrate you while eating something easy to digest.
Soups, yogurt bowls, and protein smoothies may be good options to keep your nutrition and hydration needs met when you aren’t feeling quite your best again. This may be more common when first starting on Semaglutide medications or when your dosage is increased.
While you will want to eat these in moderation, as they are higher in calories, mixing in some foods that are packed with nutrition and healthy fats can be a great part of your Semaglutide diet. Not only will they help you feel satiated, but healthy fats also tend to be packed with omega essential oils that are heart-healthy.
Unprocessed is the best again when considering healthy fat options. This means pumpkin seeds sprinkled on your yogurt bowl, a handful of walnuts to snack on, or a few slivers of avocado on top of your buddha bowl.
While on Semaglutide medications, you will likely be feeling less hungry overall, and may take in way less food altogether.
While this is good for your weight loss efforts, under consuming nutrient-dense foods is not healthy for your body. To help avoid this, when you do eat something, it’s important to make smarter choices. Even if you only want to nibble on crackers (with little nutritional value), consider pairing them with a bean and veggie soup for fiber, vitamins, and protein.
If you want yogurt, sprinkle some healthy seed mix and berries on top to boost the nutrition. Remember, less food is not always best – if that means your nutritional targets for vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants are not being met.
Ultimately, good health will be found in both minimizing the less healthy foods, while optimizing and adding in nutritious ones that will fuel your body, feed your healthy gut flora, and protect your cells through antioxidants.
Here at Strut Health, we offer compounded Semaglutide medications completely online. You can choose between injectable Semaglutide, or oral Semaglutide lozenges.
To get started, simply choose your medication and complete a free online questionnaire-based doctor’s consultation in under 15 minutes. Your answers will be reviewed by a U.S. doctor to make sure this medication is appropriate for you. If it is, you’ll check out, and your medication will be shipped to you from a U.S. compounding pharmacy.
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