Great foods to eat to lose weight should be low in fat and calories, and they should also provide essential vitamins and minerals to ensure your body gets the nutrients it needs while you're losing weight. You should also look for foods that are high in fiber to help you feel satiated with fewer calories and to maintain digestive health.
Kale
Kale is a type of cabbage, and according to the World's Healthiest Foods, it has extremely high nutrition levels and is low in calories. One cup of kale provides more than the recommended daily allowance of vitamins K and A, and nearly 90 percent of the recommended vitamin C, plus fiber, calcium, potassium and iron, all for just 36 calories.
Apples
The University of Illinois recommends apples as a nutritious, low-calorie food that protects against heart disease and promotes digestive health. Eat apples with the skin on to get the maximum amount of fiber, which will help you feel full for longer, and also because most of the apple's vitamin C content is just under the skin. A medium apple has around 80 calories.
Low-fat Yogurt
A study at the University of Tennessee, reported in the International Journal of Obesity reports that "Fat loss was markedly increased on the yogurt diet ... while lean tissue loss was reduced by 31 percent on the yogurt diet. Trunk fat loss was augmented by 81 percent on the yogurt vs. control diet, and this was reflected in a markedly greater reduction in waist circumference." The study recommends three servings of low-fat or fat-free yogurt per day for best results.
Grapefruit
The Journal of the American College of Nutrition reports that "Vitamin C status is inversely related to body mass. Individuals with adequate vitamin C status oxidize 30 percent more fat during a moderate exercise bout than individuals with low vitamin C status; thus, vitamin C depleted individuals may be more resistant to fat mass loss." Grapefruit is a low-calorie source of vitamin C. One approximately 100-calorie grapefruit has 120 percent of the recommended daily allowance of vitamin C. Plus it has 15 percent of the daily fiber allowance, which will help you feel full longer.
References
- World's Healthiest Foods: Kale
- University of Illinois Extension: Apples Nutrition
- International Journal of Obesity: Dairy Augmentation of Total and Central Fat Loss in Obese Subjects
- Journal of the American College of Nutrition: Strategies for Healthy Weight Loss: From Vitamin C to the Glycemic Response
Member Comments