link to nutrition info./book referrals.

http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/natural-weight-loss-food-kale-ga.htm

Bottom line, I don't think you can find ANY source of information that doesn't recommend any vegetable as a "weight-loss" food.

But, good info anyway. I just sent the one about kale, because I couldn't find the general link about vegetables...and for the record, I was merely looking for a spinach soup recipe..stumbled across this.

Good stuff to read anyhow. I think of all vegetables that would be best choice for weight loss are peppers--the spicier the better, because it's that hot flavor that somehow (you can read about it. :) ) increases your body's temperature, therefore increases your metabolism, therefore, increases calorie burn.

I have two books I will recommend as well. One is called volumetrics. Not so high in recipe volume...but overall teaching of the book is how to create lower calorie food items, but have enough "volume" in them to help you leave the table satisfied. I really appreciate some of the pictures that show before and after versions of a recipe...example...a typical sandwich at a high caloric volume, and a remake of similar sandwich, can be 2x the amount with even less calories!

Bottom line on this book, it taught me how to throw vegetables into nearly anything creating more volume, but with a lot less calories. It's amazing how little calories those vegetables are, and packed with nutrients, it's no wonder that vegetables are a free for all.

2nd book I ran across recently...called "mindless eating: why we eat more than we think." By Brian Wansink. I myself do not have this book, but browsed through it at Borders. I was really intrigued by the studies done proving that people are influenced in how much they eat. An example was that people were given a container of free popcorn while going to a movie. One group was given a large amount, another a small container. (study was trying to show whether or not people would eat more,because they were given more.) And, it was true, people with larger containers automatically ate more than those given the small container. 2nd interesting fact about this, the popcorn was 5 days old--they purposely gave the study group this stale tasting popcorn because they wanted to see if people still ate the popcorn regardless if it was better tasting or not...because it was free? because they connect "movie" to "must have popcorn at the movie?" I don't recall every detail, but that's the gist of it. And, in the end, people who complained about the taste (in the end, they were asked to fill out a survey) and yet, they still ate a good amount of the stale popcorn.

Another interesting fact---after some studies were done, the same people were contacted and shared what the study was about, and then asked these people whether or not they felt that they were influenced in what they ate. They made claims of no....leading to the final support of facts that people make mindless choices of how much they eat. They all denied that THEY were the ones influenced...yet the studies proved otherwise.

I haven't bought this book yet, but I plan on getting it. The little bit that I read was so intriguing...could I dare be one that is being influenced?

I admit, it's hard to pass up the "free" bakery samples at costco when the smell of the sweets is so overwhelming. Influenced! I would not even feel to want it, had I've not smelled it. I also admit, I watch a movie...where's the popcorn?? (keep in mind though, I NEVER ask for extra butter...and theater popcorn is way too salty for me to enjoy---period!) But, if my family gets it, I will snag a couple handfuls anyway. Saltiness--another manipulation---it's the way to get people to want to buy that carbonation to wash it down!

Ok, if I don't shut up now..I'll end up writing a book! :0