While it is important to pay attention to what you eat, how much you eat can be even more important. Eating too many calories, even healthy food calories, can lead to weight gain. Choosing low-calorie food options from each food group can help you limit your calorie intake to promote weight loss.
Nonstarchy Vegetables
Nonstarchy vegetables are low in calories and high in essential nutrients, making them a nutrient-dense food choice. Each serving of a nonstarchy vegetable contains 25 calories. Serving sizes equal 1/2 cup cooked or 1 cup raw. Leafy greens, such as iceberg and romaine lettuce, contain 25 calories in every 2-cup serving. Low-calorie nonstarchy vegetables include spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, cucumbers, mushrooms, onions, carrots, zucchini, artichokes, eggplant and peppers. Including more vegetables in your diet can help satisfy hunger for weight loss while limiting your overall calorie intake.
Fruits
Fruits are also low in calories and high in vitamins, minerals and fiber. Each serving of fruit contains 60 calories. Fruits with more water, such as watermelon, have a larger serving size and may be more filling when following a low-calorie diet for weight loss. Fruit choices and serving sizes include a small apple or orange, 4 oz. banana, 1 cup of cubed melon, 1 cup of blueberries, 1-1/4 cups of whole strawberries, a medium peach or nectarine, 1/2 a large pear, two plums and 1/2 cup of unsweetened canned fruit.
Grains
Minimally processed grains are also a low-calorie choice for your weight-loss diet, and also provide fiber, B vitamins and iron. Each grain serving contains 80 calories. Serving sizes include one slice of whole-wheat bread, 1/3 cup of brown rice or whole-wheat pasta, 1/2 cup of cooked hot cereal, 3/4 cup of ready-to-eat cereal, 1/2 of a whole-wheat English muffin, five whole-grain crackers and 3 cups of air-popped popcorn. Choosing more whole grains will increase your fiber intake. Foods high in fiber take your body longer to digest and can also help manage hunger.
Meat and Meat Alternatives
Meat and meat alternatives provide protein, iron and zinc. Choose lean cuts of meat to limit your fat intake. Lean meat choices include skinless white meat poultry, fish, beef tenderloin, lean pork chops and lamb chops. Each ounce of meat contains 45 to 55 calories. Two egg whites and 1/4 cup of egg substitute also contain 45 calories.
Dairy
Nonfat milk and milk products are your lowest calorie dairy-food choices. One cup of nonfat milk contains about 100 calories. One oz. of low-fat cheese and 1/4 cup of low-fat cottage cheese contain 45 calories. A 6 oz. container of nonfat, sugar-free yogurt contains about 100 calories.
Member Comments