The best low-calorie diet plans feature diverse, healthful foods that suit your preferences and lifestyle. The diet should be flexible enough to keep you interested in the food plan and motivated to stick with the diet for the long term. Fresh whole foods, rather than packaged and processed foods, should form the core of the diet.
No-Fad Diet
The American Heart Association advises that you lower your calories and boost your nutrition by following several no-fad-diet tips. Look for ways that you've been consuming excessive calories -- by eating too many fast foods, for example, or finishing up your child's leftovers or making your portions too large. The association's food recommendations include consuming nonfat dairy products, reducing sugar and eating foods high in fiber, such as whole grains, fruit and vegetables. Identify one daily source of food high in calories, such as a nightly dessert or a morning coffee drink with flavored syrup and whipped cream, and replace it with a low-calorie option, such as unsweetened ice tea or fresh fruit.
Mediterranean Diet
A Mediterranean diet takes your focus off calorie-counting and instead fills your plate with nutritious, fiber-filled, low-calorie foods. Focus on fresh produce, preferably local or organic. Try fruit salads, a bowl of berries, homemade fruit and vegetable smoothies, lightly dressed salads, broth-based vegetable soup, marinated vegetables and vegetables roasted and drizzled with olive oil. For entrees, choose from legumes, bean spreads, fish, skinless poultry and whole grains such as oatmeal, couscous, unsweetened whole-wheat breads and crackers, wild rice, amaranth and quinoa. Consume small quantities of low-fat or nonfat Greek yogurt, cheese and milk. Choose a small piece of dark chocolate or a bowl of berries for dessert. Eat foods with healthy sources of fat, like olives, olive oil, avocado, seeds and nuts.
Modified Raw-Food Diet
A modified raw-food diet is naturally low in calories. Transition to a mostly raw diet by spending your first week eliminating red meat, sugar, syrups and white-flour products. Eat plenty of raw vegetables and fruit. In the second week, eliminate poultry and dairy products, and add energy-boosting raw smoothies made from bananas and other raw fruits and vegetables. In the third week, try soaked raw nuts, sprouted grains and raw nut milk. In the fourth week, follow a 100-percent raw diet, including fresh foods, dried fruit, coconut milk, seaweed and sea vegetables. After the fourth week, gradually reintroduce some healthful cooked foods, such as unsweetened whole grains and plant-based or animal-based protein sources.
Long-Term Weight Loss
Maintaining a low-calorie diet for long-term weight loss demands making lifestyle changes. One of the key areas is portion control. Weigh your foods to get a good idea of portion amounts. At mealtimes, use dessert plates instead of full-sized dinner plates, and avoid piling your servings high. Complement your low-calorie food plan with daily cardiovascular and strengthening exercises to boost weight loss and maintain a healthy weight.
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