One or two nutritious foods alone won't create the best diet -- you need a variety. You can easily achieve this goal when you have a longer list of healthy food sources. These include low fat sources of protein, minerals, vitamins and dietary fiber. The USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends concentrating on getting more potassium, calcium, magnesium and vitamins A, C and E. Foods with these nutrient contents often have low calories and high fiber, both of which naturally aid in weight control.
Vegetables and Fruit
Maintaining a healthy weight keeps you fit, and the dietary fiber contributions from fruit and vegetables make you feel full within low calorie counts, the American Heart Association points out. Eat oranges for vitamin C, and any kind of berries for vitamins A and C. Blueberries provide vitamin E. Along with Asian and domestic pears, these fruits have high fiber content.
High-fiber veggies that help with weight control include artichokes, broccoli and spinach. These nutritious foods are joined by tomatoes, sweet potatoes, pumpkin and winter squash in offering combinations of potassium, calcium, magnesium and vitamins A, C and E.
Whole Grains
The American Heart Association reports that whole grains, such as brown rice, are better foods nutritionally than refined grains, such as white rice. Some of the best whole-grain foods to choose are oatmeal, bulgur wheat, brown rice, enriched cereals, whole-wheat bread, barley and corn. Whole grains have low calories, high fiber and magnesium.
Dairy Products
Make daily efforts at weight control while you meet your calcium goals by buying fat-free, 1 percent or 2 percent dairy products, the American Heart Association suggests. One cup of protein-rich nonfat milk offers significant calcium and vitamins A and D in only 83 calories. Yogurt and cheese have similar dietary benefits.
Legumes
Get large amounts of your potassium and fiber for heart health from legumes. Cooked dry soybeans, lentils, peas and beans are the most nutritious food sources of dietary fiber, according to the USDA Nutrient Database. One cup of navy beans, for instance, contains 75 percent of your total daily fiber values, as listed by the FDA. Other legumes dense with these nutrients include split peas, chickpeas and kidney, black, pinto and lima beans.
Meat and Fish
Many protein-rich meats and fish are nutritious foods but high in calories. The USDA Dietary Guidelines suggest choosing low fat beef round or chuck and skinless poultry. The American Heart Association encourages you to eat fish two or more times per week to promote weight control and to get beneficial omega-3 fatty acids, which help to lower your cholesterol. Fish with low calories include flounder, orange roughy, haddock and cod.
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