When you go on a diet, your goal is to keep your intake of saturated fat to a minimum and include foods that are high in nutrients and low in empty calories. This eliminates fast food, commercial baked goods, deep fried foods and sweets. Even though you are choosing healthy foods, remember that weight loss is a game of numbers. For you to successfully lose weight, you need to cut back on your calories. By reducing your intake by 500 to 1,000 calories a day, you can lose one to two pounds a week according to the Centers for Disease Control.
Greens
Greens, such as baby spinach, arugula, romaine lettuce, radicchio and mache are high in water content, vitamins and minerals. The work well in a diet because they are low in calories and take up a lot of volume. By whipping up a large salad with any of these greens, you will eat a lot of food with a low calorie density. Because greens are "chewy," it will take you a while to eat them. By eating more slowly, you will eat fewer overall calories.
Fruits and Vegetables
Fruits and vegetables both have low calorie densities with the exception of avocados. They are also high in vitamins and minerals and are easy to incorporate into snacks. For example, you can easily pack an apple, banana or baggie full of grapes in your purse and eat them in the afternoon if you get hungry. Likewise, you can chop up some carrots, celery sticks and broccoli and munch on them while watching the football game on television.
Low-Fat Dairy Products
Low-fat dairy products contain calcium, which is beneficial to bone health; they also contain protein, which is more filling than higher carbohydrate options. By choosing the low-fat varieties, you will spare yourself calories. These come in the form of yogurt, cheese, milk, sour cream and cottage cheese.
Lean Protein
Lean meats give your body protein and iron which are important for building muscle. By adding these foods to your diet, you can also help fill yourself up. Lean cuts of meat include flank steak, lean ground beef, sirloin tip and pork tenderloin. Chicken and turkey breasts are also low in fat.
Fish is another quality protein food. The cold water water varieties are high in omega-3 fatty acids which decrease triglyceride levels, slow growth rate of atherosclerotic plaque, and slightly lower blood pressure according to the American Heart Association. Salmon, herring, albacore tuna and tilapia are examples.
Whole Grains
Whole grains, such as oatmeal, barley, brown rice, quinoa, oat bran and buckwheat are all high in complex carbs and fiber. High fiber foods take a while to digest, which keeps your appetite under control. Fiber also moves fat through your digestive system faster so that less of it is absorbed, according to the Calories per Hour website. Since fat contains nine calories per gram, you can save yourself numerous calories by increasing your fiber intake.
Beans
Beans are along the same lines as whole grains in that they are high in fiber. They are also low in fat, high in protein, high in iron and very filling. Garbanzo beans, lentils, pinto beans, black beans and soy beans are examples.
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