You may follow a restricted-calorie diet to lose weight, to maintain a healthy weight, as part of training for an athletic event or for medical reasons. The foods on a restricted-calorie diet vary depending upon your goals and the length of time you intend to follow the diet, but most of these diets share the same basic foods. One exception to this approach is if you are following a diet due to a health problem.
Fresh Produce
Low-calorie diets feature ample or unlimited servings of fresh produce for a couple of reasons. First of all, most fresh fruits and vegetables are naturally low in calories. Those that have a higher number of calories, such as avocado and banana, are denser and more filling. Secondly, eating a diet filled with diverse fruit and vegetables ensures that you follow a nutritionally balanced plan with adequate vitamins, minerals and fiber. Keep your produce fresh, whole, organic and local for high-quality nutritive value. Blend banana chunks with carrot juice for breakfast, snack on chopped carrots between meals and have a bowl of raspberries instead of sugary sweets for dessert.
Whole Grains
Restricting yourself to no carbohydrates or low carbohydrates does not boost your weight loss results. Instead, choose filling, unsweetened whole grains to give you energy without adding calories from sugar, syrup or refined flour. For breakfast, try unsweetened oatmeal made with water or nonfat milk. Add fresh or dried fruit if you want your oatmeal sweeter. Replace white pasta and white rice with whole grains such as couscous, quinoa, pearl barley, millet, wild rice, amaranth, bulgur, polenta and buckwheat.
Healthy Fats
The war against trans fat and saturated fat may have you thinking you need to eat a fat-free diet. However, many foods contain monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats, also known as healthy fats. These types of fat improve your cholesterol levels, which can reduce your risk of heart disease. Sources of healthy fat include nuts, seeds, avocado, olives, vegetable oils and olive oil. Consuming light preparations of fish and shellfish also provides essential nutrition. Avoid fast food and deep-fried food and opt instead for grilled, marinated, steamed or broiled dishes.
Protein
Your protein sources may be vegan, vegetarian, omnivorous or carnivorous. However, certain foods provide more grams of protein for less calorie intake. Vegan protein sources include soy, nuts, seeds and some grains such as quinoa. Vegetarian options add dairy products, including eggs, to this list. If you want to consume animal-based sources of protein, emphasize lightly prepared seafood dishes such as broiled salmon, and skinless poultry.
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