Staying at a healthy weight involves getting all the nutrients you need from foods with relatively low calories. Most nutritious foods have less fat and sugar and more beneficial nutrients, such as the dietary fiber, minerals and vitamins that your body needs to maintain your health.
Weight control comes naturally when you limit caloric fat and sugar. Health flourishes when you eat nutrient-dense foods, or those that pack the greatest nutrition into the fewest calories. Fruits and vegetables head the list of such foods, which the USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans advise most people to eat more often.
Nutrient-Dense Foods
You won't stick with weight control if you don't get adequate nutrition, so concentrate first on meeting FDA daily nutrient requirements. To do so within low calorie counts, choose nutritious foods that provide several benefits in single 1-cup or 1/2-cup servings.
According to the USDA Nutrient Database, vegetables that contain significant combinations of iron, potassium, magnesium, calcium and/or vitamins A, C and E include spinach, sweet potatoes, artichokes, broccoli, tomatoes and winter squash. The American Diabetes Association recommends eating oranges, grapefruits, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and raspberries for high amounts of antioxidant vitamins A and C.
High-Fiber Foods
Dietary fiber aids heart and digestive health. The National Institutes of Health point out that the fiber in nutritious foods also contributes to weight control by making you feel full faster. High-fiber veggies with low calories include artichokes, spinach, pumpkin and squash, sweet potatoes, broccoli and cauliflower.
The FDA considers foods high-fiber if they contain 20 percent or more of the 25 g recommended daily. Fruits that fit this category include raspberries, pears, blackberries, raisins, blueberries and strawberries. All fruits and vegetables, however, will contribute some fiber toward your daily totals.
Low-Cal Foods
Some fruits and vegetables have higher fat, sugar and protein ratios than others, which may threaten weight control. If you need to lay off the calories periodically, dip into nutritious foods that minimize calories and maximize vitamin content.
Veggies with low calories include 1-cup servings of lettuce, asparagus, cucumber, cabbage, beets, bell peppers, tomatoes, cauliflower, kale, spinach and eggplant. These provide some combination of minerals and vitamins A, B, C and E in 50 calories or less, according to the USDA. Low-cal, vitamin-rich whole fruits include kiwi, tangerines, plums, peaches, pears, apricots and lemons. Smaller 1-oz. portions of raisins and avocados remain under 50 calories, as do small slices of watermelon and cantaloupe.
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