Make healthy food substitutions in your diet to lose weight rapidly and safely and to prevent weight rebound. In addition to daily exercise, meal choices from each food group will give your body the protein and other nutrients it needs to support higher activity on fewer calories. Begin by choosing foods in the fruit, vegetable, grain, dairy and protein groups with 100 calories or fewer per serving. When you reach your weight-loss goal, you can adjust your calorie intake to expand your menu options.
Strawberries
Build up your daily supply of dietary fiber and vitamin C by eating low-calorie fruits, such as strawberries and other berries. One 1/2-cup serving has 25 calories, so your weight-loss diet can easily accommodate it plus another two servings of fruit, recommends the American Heart Association. Fruits with similar properties include plums, apricots, kiwis and cantaloupes.
Leafy Greens
Make leafy greens the staples of your three daily vegetable servings. A 1-cup serving of salad greens has about 10 calories and provides filling fiber and vitamins A and B. Cooked collard greens, kale and broccoli offer some of the benefits of spinach, a "superfood" with significant fiber, iron, potassium, calcium, magnesium, protein and vitamins A, B, C, E and K. At 20 calories, a 1/2-cup serving of cooked spinach has everything you need to lose weight safely -- high nutrient content and few calories.
Cereal
Whole-grain cereal presents another nutrient-dense food for rapid weight loss. The MedlinePlus notes that a strong fiber to calorie ratio makes you feel full on less food. Cereal servings of 1/2 to 1 cup offer a full day's supply of iron, B vitamins and calcium in some brands, and satisfy part of your six daily grain servings. Look for low-sugar wheat bran flakes, which deliver high-quality complex carbohydrates for daylong energy in the fewest calories.
Milk
Milk is the healthy choice for calcium when you're dieting because you can regulate the fat content. To shed pounds quickly, go fat-free. You'll still get a full 30 percent of your daily calcium in only 83 calories, per 1 cup of nonfat milk. Use two or three servings of milk to help fulfill your daily calcium and vitamin D needs.
Fish
Healthy protein sources are those with less saturated fat, and fish, in general, fill that criterion. You'll want the lowest-calorie fish to supply your protein, potassium and vitamins B and D. A 3-oz., 100-calorie serving of tuna, cod, orange roughy or sole help you lose weight fast by replacing higher-calorie meats or beans in your diet.
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