Good Food That Helps You Lose Weight

Weight loss typically requires a caloric deficit, meaning you must consume fewer calories than the amount you burn through physical activity consistently. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 68 percent of Americans were overweight or obese between 2007 and 2008. If you fall into these categories, altering your diet can help you lose excess pounds and lower your risk for diabetes and heart disease. Particular foods may provide exceptional weight loss benefits.

Fruits and Vegetables

Fruits and vegetables provide rich amounts of fiber -- a non-digestible carbohydrate that contributes no calories -- and nutrients. According to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report, the satiating nature and relatively low caloric content of fruits and vegetables can play an important role in weight management. To reap maximum benefits, try replacing high-calorie, low-nutrient foods, such as candy and processed snack foods, in your diet with whole produce regularly. Varieties particularly rich in fiber and nutrients include berries, citrus fruits, apples, pears, leafy greens, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, asparagus, artichokes and winter squash.

Whole Grains

Swapping refined foods out for whole grains may also promote weight loss. Whole grains contain more protein, fiber and nutrients than refined grains, such as white flour. As fiber-rich foods, whole grains take longer to digest, provide fewer calories than refined foods and allow you to consume greater food volume while managing your weight. Examples of filling, whole grain foods include 100 percent whole grain breads and cereals, whole grain pasta, brown rice, wild rice, quinoa, pearled barley and air-popped popcorn. For best results, check ingredient lists on prepared breads, cereal and pasta to ensure that whole grains are listed as main ingredients.

Lean Protein-Rich Foods

Protein provides amino acids -- the building blocks of lean tissue. According to research published in the "Journal of Nutrition" in Feb. 2003, increasing the amount of protein in your diet may enhance your weight loss efforts. In the study, 24 women ages 45 to 56 consumed a diet containing 68 g of protein or 125 g of protein per day for 10 weeks. By the study's end, women who consumed the higher-protein diet demonstrated greater reductions in body fat and greater improvements in blood sugar levels and appetite control compared to the other dieters. For potentially similar benefits, incorporate lean, high-quality protein sources, such as skinless white-meat poultry, fish, egg whites, tofu, legumes and low-fat dairy products into your meals and snacks routinely.

Healthy Fats

Fats help your body absorb certain nutrients, promote positive brain function and enhance the texture and flavor of many foods. According to "Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy: The Harvard Medical School Guide to Healthy Eating" many Americans have fallen prey to the myth that eliminating fat leads to weight loss, when in fact moderate fat intake improves your overall health and weight. Fats promote satiation and satisfaction. In addition, many "fat-free" commercially-prepared foods, such as fat-free ice cream, cakes and salty snack foods, replace the omitted fat with sugar, which is dense in calories, low in nutritional benefits and may promote blood sugar imbalances and food cravings. To reap weight loss benefits of fats, incorporate healthy, unsaturated sources such as avocados, nuts, seeds, olive oil, canola oil and salmon into nutritious, balanced meals.