Focusing on healthy foods instead of strictly avoiding high-calorie, high-fat foods can help you lose weight. When you concentrate your efforts on staying away from foods you may like, it threatens to ruin your diet because of temptations. Make a healthy diet part of your routine and you will realize how much you enjoy eating nutritious foods. It only takes a few simple changes to incorporate healthy foods that help you lose weight into your diet.
Low-Fat Protein
Protein plays an essential role in your diet by building muscle tissue and providing you with energy. However, many protein foods contain saturated fat that can add excess pounds. To meet your protein needs and maintain a healthy weight, choose low-fat varieties of protein foods, such as the leanest meat, skinless poultry and fish, which has less saturated fat than meat or poultry. Eat smaller portions of meat, poultry and fish. Bake, grill or broil these foods instead of frying to avoid excess fat intake. Consume low-fat or nonfat dairy products instead of whole-milk items.
Fruits and Vegetables
While consuming smaller portions of meat, poultry and fish, treat yourself to more vegetables and fruit on your plate. Fruit and vegetables have low-fat content and high fiber to help satisfy your hunger while eating less of fatty foods. The best choices include fresh fruit and vegetables. When buying canned or frozen varieties, avoid products with added sugar, creams or other fatty ingredients. Eat steamed vegetables as much as possible and avoid fried or breaded vegetables.
Whole Grains
Whole grains are also low in fat and high in fiber while providing you with a feeling of fullness. You can enjoy more of these foods in your meals to avoid temptations of fatty foods. Whole grains make better options to refined grains because they retain more nutrients and fiber than processed grains. Choose whole-grain bread, pasta, cereal and crackers, oatmeal, brown rice and barley.
Sweets and Snacks
You can enjoy sweets and snacks on occasion. Denying your desires too often may lead you to overindulge at times, adding unnecessary pounds. Keep fresh fruit, vegetable sticks and high-fiber nuts available for quick, nutritious snacks. Air-popped popcorn and pretzels make healthy snacks. For your sweet urges, choose low-fat or fat-free, cookies, cakes or crackers with peanut butter or low-fat cheese. Select hard candies, red licorice or jellybeans, low in fat, instead of fatty chocolate. Add fresh fruit slices to angel food cake or low-fat yogurt for dessert or snacks.
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