If losing weight is your goal you’ve come to the right place. Coupled with a balanced diet and regular exercise these foods and drinks will help you in your weight loss journey.
1. Eggs
While once feared for being high in cholesterol, eggs are a great addition to your diet. This is a common misconception, if you eat eggs in moderation (between 7-12 a week) and don’t suffer from high cholesterol, eggs have proven to be safe for many people, and are one of the best foods to eat if you’re looking to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight.
Eggs contain almost every essential vitamin (excluding vitamin C), plus minerals such as calcium and potassium.
While egg whites are lower in fat and calories, the egg yolk contains many nutrients such as choline and vitamin D. With eggs being high in protein and fat, they help you to feel full. This is great in the weight loss journey as you get less hungry. Try to get in the habit of eating when you are hungry and stopping when you’re full. Try to eat foods that fill you up more for fewer calories.
A study including 50 people showed that eating eggs and toast for breakfast versus cereal and orange juice, increased feelings of satiety (fullness) for the next 4 hours.
2. Leafy greens
Leafy greens include spinach, kale, and collard greens. They have several properties that make them perfect for reaching or maintaining a healthy weight. These include fiber and other nutrients that keep you satiated and hydrated. This helps keep you fuller for longer and reduces the cravings for less nutritious foods.
3. Fatty fish
Fatty fish like salmon are incredibly nutritious. Salmon is packed with high-quality protein, healthy fats, and various other important nutrients. Salmon is loaded with omega-3 fatty acids, which help reduce inflammation and promote fat burning along with the stress hormone cortisol which is also linked to fat storage.
Fish and seafood in general also supply iodine which is necessary for proper thyroid function, which in turn helps our metabolism run optimally. Studies show that many people don’t meet their iodine needs. Adding some fatty fish to your diet can help with this.
Some other healthy fatty fish include mackerel, trout, sardines, and tuna.
Tuna and salmon are high in protein with nutritious fish fats to support your eyes and brain.
If eating canned tuna, choose varieties in water rather than oil which is higher in calories, fat, and sodium.
4. Cruciferous vegetables
Cruciferous vegetables include cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, and brussel sprouts. Like other vegetables, they are high in fiber and very filling. They also contain a decent amount of protein (not as high as meat or legumes, but still a decent amount).
A combination of fiber, protein, and low calories make cruciferous vegetables a great addition to your diet.
As a bonus, they also contain nutrients that may lower the risk of developing cancer.
5. Some Lean meats
Chicken, turkey, and red meat are both high in protein and iron. Skinless chicken breast and lean red meat have less saturated fat so best to opt for these most of the time to better support weight management.
Red meat has been associated with a higher risk of cancer, diabetes, and heart disease but there is low evidence to support this. Eating unprocessed meat 2-3 times a week with vegetables and whole grains may mitigate some of these cancer risks.
6. Root vegetables
Root vegetables such as white potatos contain an incredibly diverse range of nutrients. They are high in potassium, a nutrient many people don’t get enough of. Potassium helps in blood pressure management.
On the Satiety Index (a scale testing how full each food makes you) potatos scored the highest out of all the foods tested. This means that by eating white potatos or sweet potatoes, you’re more likely to feel full while providing your body with essential nutrients.
Also if you allow potatos to cool after boiling, they form high amounts of starch which has been shown to have health benefits including weight loss.
7. Beans and legumes
Beans and legumes can be very beneficial in weight loss. They are high in protein and fiber which promote satiety. These include kidney beans, black beans, lentils, and more.
In a study in 2011 containing 50 adults who were given a white bean extract twice a day for eight weeks, scientists found that those in the bean research group lost more weight and had better blood sugar levels.
8. Dairy products
Dairy products in general tend to be high in protein, but cottage cheese is one of the most protein-rich dairy products. Eating cottage cheese is a great way to boost your protein intake, which is important for building and maintaining muscle. It’s also high in calcium.
Yogurt is another excellent dairy product, greek yogurt especially as it has twice the amount of protein as regular yogurt. Certain types of yogurts also coming probiotic bacteria that can improve the function of your gut. Choose yogurts with live, active cultures. Flavoured or sweetened yogurt typically had added sugars so it’s best to eat these only occasionally.
9. Whole grains
A diet rich in whole grains can help support healthy weight loss. Cereal grains may benefit your metabolic health as they are filled with fiber and a decent amount of protein, examples being oats, brown rice, and quinoa. Oats increase satiety and both brown and white rice contains significant amounts of resistant starch, but brown rice is much better as it’s loaded with added nutrients and is fewer in calories.
Bare in mind that refined grains like white bread are okay in moderation but shouldn’t be the foundation of your diet. Stick to unprocessed grains.
10. Fruit
Numerous studies show us that people who eat the most fruit and vegetables are healthier than people who don’t. Most fruits have properties that help you achieve your goals in weight loss.
Some shy away from fruit as they have sugar in them, but this is natural sugar, and they also have lots of micronutrients, plus their fiber content helps prevent the sugar from being released too quickly into your bloodstream.
Grapefruit is one of the best fruits, being high in fiber and nutrients that promote satiety.
Apples are high in fiber, antioxidants, and vitamin C. The fruit also has anti-inflammatory properties. Berries are also high in antioxidants, and vitamin C.
11. Green tea
Green tea is one of the best fat-burning foods out there. It is loaded with antioxidants which help speed up metabolism. Plus green tea also contains a small amount of caffeine which research has found to speed up metabolic rate and increase fat-burning if drunk before exercise.
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