Though you can lose weight by consuming most any food in proper amounts, nutrient-rich foods provide multiple weight loss and wellness benefits. In addition to enhancing your immune system and preventing nutrient deficiencies, foods such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains can enhance fullness between meals and allow you to consume more while losing weight, according to the Mayo Clinic. For best results, seek weight-loss guidance from your doctor or dietitian.
Fruits and Vegetables
Fruits and vegetables offer valuable amounts of vitamins and minerals, which support your overall wellness, and dietary fiber and water, which support satiation and hydration. Those who follow diets rich in fruits and vegetables tend to have improved weight-loss success and cardiovascular health, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Aim for a variety of fresh, colorful fruits and vegetables to reap broadest nutritional benefits. To reduce your overall calorie intake, increase your consumption of fruits and vegetables at meals and snacks while reducing portion sizes of higher-calorie foods. Keep frozen fruits and vegetables on hand for convenience and fresh-cut fruits and vegetables in your refrigerator or workplace. Dried fruit and all-fruit frozen dessert bars make for nutrient-rich, lower-calorie alternatives to conventional sweets.
Whole Grains
Whole-grain breads, cereals, pasta and rice provide an assortment of valuable vitamins and minerals. As fiber-rich complex carbohydrates, whole grains enhance fullness and provide glucose--your body's primary energy source. For improved weight-loss success, the Mayo Clinic recommends replacing processed carbohydrates, such as enriched breads, pasta, chips, crackers, candy and pastries, with whole-grain alternatives. While whole wheat is the most common grain in America, consume a variety of other grains, as well, such as oats, wild rice, barley, bulgur, spelt, quinoa, long-grain brown rice and popcorn. When purchasing foods made with whole grains, check packaging to ensure that whole grains are listed as primary ingredients. To create healthier desserts and baked goods, substitute whole-grain flour for enriched flour in traditional recipes.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Fatty fish, such as Alaskan salmon, albacore tuna, lake trout, herring, sardines, halibut and mackerel, contain omega-3 fatty acids--healthy fats your body requires and must obtain from food. According to research published in "Appetite" magazine in June, 2008, obese individuals who consume omega-3 fatty acids may experience improved appetite control and weight loss when compared with similar individuals who do not. Fatty fish also provide rich amounts of protein, which can support blood-sugar management, keep you fuller longer between meals and contribute to lean muscle tissue. For additional benefits, replace saturated fat sources, such as whole milk, fatty red meat, dark-meat poultry, high-fat cheeses and deep-fried foods with fatty fish regularly. If you do not consume fish, similar benefits can be reaped from ground flaxseed, flaxseed oil, walnuts, walnut oil, canola oil and foods fortified with omega-3 fatty acids.
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