Before you start feeling regretful about eating too much, consider a new study from the Center for Nutrition Research at Illinois Institute of Technology that suggests the fat in avocado (鳄梨) can help you prevent hunger and stay more satisfied longer.

The study was published in the journal Nutrients on May 8, 2019. It concludes that overweight people who added avocado to their meals as a substitute for carbohydrates (碳水化合物) like cola were able to stave off hunger longer and increase meal enjoyment. On three different days, researchers fed 31 overweight adults one of three meals with the same calories; a high-fat meal with one avocado, a high-fat meal with half an avocado, or a low-fat meal. For six hours afterward, the volunteers reported how hungry they felt.

Everyone reported feeling fuller longer after the meal featuring a whole avocado; even the meal with half an avocado helped satisfy the volunteers longer than the low-fat meal. Further tests revealed that the avocado meals helped improve an intestinal (肠的) hormone called PYY—when it drops, you feel hungry.

“For years, fats have been targeted as the main cause of obesity, and now carbohydrates have come under scrutiny (监视) for their role in appetite regulation and weight control,” said Britt Burton-Freeman, PhD, director of the Center for Nutrition Research at Illinois Tech. “There is no ‘one size fits all’ solution when it comes to best meal composition for managing appetite. However, understanding the relationship between food chemistry and its physiological (生理的) effects in different populations can reveal opportunities for addressing appetite control and reducing rates of obesity, putting us a step closer to personalized dietary recommendations.”

Although nutritional experts have long blamed fat for weight gain, more and more studies like this one indicate that eating a proper amount of healthy fat can help prevent hunger and assist with weight control. This study proves that small, enjoyable changes in your diet like swapping a piece of bread for a yummy half-avocado can lead you to achieve your weight-loss goals.

How to roast pumpkin seeds (籽)

Roasting pumpkin seeds is easy and produces crispy (脆的) results. Learn how to roast pumpkin seeds with this step-by-step guide.

Using a spoon, take the pulp (果肉) seeds out of your pumpkin and into a bowl. 【小题1】. Use kitchen scissors or a paring knife to carefully cut fibers loose. Pick out the seeds from the pulp and place them in the container.

Wash the seeds under cold water. 【小题2】. Shake the seeds dry. Pumpkin seeds have two parts: a crispy white covering and green seeds. Both are eatable.

Preheat the oven (烤箱) to 150℃. Spread the seeds in a single layer on an oiled baking sheet and roast 30 minutes.

【小题3】. Return them to the oven and bake until they are crispy and golden, about 20 more minutes. Or get creative with your favorite flavors. Mix them in one of the spice (香料) combinations.

Cool roasted pumpkin seeds completely. Store them in an airtight container. They’ll last up to two weeks at room temperature or up to two months in the refrigerator.

Roasted pumpkin seeds are a satisfying snack. They have a series of nutritional benefits. 30 grams of whole roasted pumpkin seeds (about 90 pieces) have 126 calories, 5 grams of fat and 5 grams of protein. They are also a good source of magnesium and zinc, providing 19%of your daily quantity of both these minerals. 【小题5】.