You can lose weight using processed diet products or expensive, commercial diets, but a simpler way is to eat an appropriate quantity of health food. Healthy weight loss means emphasizing nutrient-dense, low-calorie foods, and including a moderate amount of unsaturated fats. A nutritionist can help you develop a balanced meal plan to help you reach your weight loss goals.
Vegetables
Most vegetables are good health foods to lose weight because they are high in dietary fiber, vitamin A or vitamin C, and most of them are low in calories. Vegetables support a healthy blood pressure because they are high in potassium and low in sodium. Have raw vegetables in salads or sandwiches or for snacks with low-fat dips, and cooked vegetables make nutritious side dishes or additions to soups, sauces or stews. Starchy vegetables, such as sweet potatoes and corn, are higher in calories and carbohydrates.
Dairy Products
Reduced-fat dairy products can help you lose weight because of their protein, which is a filling nutrient. Fat-free or low-fat cheese, and plain or no sugar-added fat-free yogurt, are high in calcium, and they can make good snacks, according to the Mayo Clinic. Milk is high in protein and nutrients, but it's not a good weight loss food because calories from liquids aren't as filling as calories from solid food, such as fat-free cheese, the Mayo Clinic states.
Fruit
Since most fruit is sweet, low in calories and nutrient-dense, it can help you lose weight. Satisfy your sweet tooth while staying within your calorie limits by eating fruit after a meal instead of a high-calorie, high-fat dessert. Whole fruits, such as apples, oranges and pears, make high-fiber, fat-free snacks, and you can reduce your total calorie intake by eating more fruit and less high-calorie cereal, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends. Dried fruit is healthy, but high in calories.
Peanuts and Nuts
People who regularly eat nuts and peanuts tend to have lower weights, and they are health foods because they may lower your risk for heart disease, the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University reports. Peanuts and nuts, such as almonds, macadamias, cashews and walnuts, may help you lose weight because of their protein and dietary fiber, which are filling nutrients. Peanuts and nuts are high in calories, with about 160 to 200 calories per oz., so they can only help you lose weight when you cut out other foods in your diet.
References
- Mayo Clinic: Snacks: How They Fit Into Your Weight Loss Plan; May 29, 2010
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: How to Use Fruits and Vegetables to Help Manage Your Weight
- Linus Pauling Institute; Oregon State University; Nuts; Jane Higdon; December 2005
- Mayo Clinic: Cutting Liquid Calories More Effective for Weight Loss?; Jennifer Nelson and Katherine Zeratsky; April 2009
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