While there are no magic foods for weight loss food there that will make you instantly lose weight, good food choices can make a huge difference when it comes to keeping you full, fighting cravings, and how much you eat.
The foods that we have rounded up are going to make calorie-burning more efficient, plus they're full of nutrients that support a healthy body.
Sugary, high-carb foods can make you feel hungry just an hour or two after you eat them. There are also foods that do the opposite by making you feel fuller and more satisfied.
The truth is that you CAN eat foods that help you lose weight AND taste delicious! Here are 15 foods for weight loss that are going to give you happy taste buds and an even happier body.
They're also loaded with fiber and protein, which is a fantastic combination that will keep you feeling fuller for longer. A handful of almonds makes a great snack because it's going to fill you up and help you eat less at mealtime.
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Who knew you could eat fat to burn fat?
They're also great to eat with other veggies because they up the intake of nutrients in other foods. (3) Next time you have a salad, throw a few avocado slices on top for an extra vitamin boost.
Fiber and protein are a dieter's best friend because they fill you up. Your body gets tricked into thinking you've eaten more food than you have because they take more time to digest than other foods.
Beans and lentils are packed with the stuff, but some people don't digest them well, which is the cause of their wretched reputation as a belly bloater and gas producer. They've got antinutrients like tannins and phytic acid that might make you toot more than just your own horn.
Soak beans before you cook them, and you'll be fine. Try this black bean taco recipe for a delicious low-fat meal.
These teeny tiny little seeds are pretty mighty in the nutrient department. They've got 4 grams of fiber per teaspoon, which is over twice as much as a serving of cooked broccoli!
You can sprinkle them on anything. Throw them in a smoothie, on a salad, or mix a teaspoon in with your almond milk and granola in the morning.
If you love chocolate pudding but not the calories, try a delicious chia seed pudding.
Yes, you heard that right. Dark chocolate can actually help you lose weight, but it's got to be the right kind of chocolate.
It's made from the seeds of the cocoa tree and has 11 grams of fiber in a 100 gram bar, 67% of your daily requirements of iron, 58% of the RDA for magnesium, and many more vitamins and minerals.
Use it in moderation, though, and steer clear of dark chocolate that has added sugar. It's got saturated fat in it and stimulants like caffeine and theobromine.
Look for the bars that have at least 70% cacao.
Try a muffin tin veggie-filled quiche for breakfast. They freeze well, so you can make a bunch ahead of time!
Grapefruits also reduce insulin resistance, which is important when you're trying to lose weight. Insulin resistance can cause diabetes and a bunch of other health issues that can affect your weight.
Make sure to eat the flesh of the grapefruit and not just drink the juice. The fiber also helps you shed pounds. If eating a grapefruit plain doesn't sound enticing, try adding it to a salad.
Everyone has a hormone called leptin that's the boss of your belly. It tells you when you're hungry and when you're full, or at least it's supposed to.
Mix plain Greek yogurt into a smoothie or throw some granola on top. Make sure to look for a brand that has 7g of sugar or less (with no added sugar – stay away from the flavored kinds!).
If you want to lose weight, or be a healthy person in general, you need to get your daily intake of fiber. It's not just for older folks, kiddos.
Leafy greens like kale, spinach, Swiss chard, romaine, and arugula are going to give you a healthy dose of fiber, hydration, and nutrients that support weight loss. The problem is that some people don't like the flavor of leafy greens, so they only juice them.
Green juices are great, but you lose the fiber when you take out the pulp. Try this fiber-packed high protein power paleo bowl for a scrumptious way to get your greens.
Protein from meat has a bad rap in the diet industry, but the truth is that unprocessed lean beef, chicken, and fish are really supportive of weight loss.
The key is that the amount of fat in your proteins should be balanced out by the amount of carbs you eat. Low-carb diets can handle meat with more fat in it, while high carb dieters should only eat lean meats.
It's weird that lemons are so acidic outside the body, but as soon as you eat them or drink lemon juice, they become one of the most alkaline forming foods out there. They clean your bowels, your liver, kill intestinal parasites, and restore balance to the body's pH.
They also have pectin fiber which helps with hunger cravings and making the body feel fuller.
Try squeezing a few lemons into 8 ounces of fresh water and drink daily!
People have been eating pumpkin to regulate their bowels for centuries. It's a natural fat burner with high fiber and protein, and low sugar, even though it's got a sweet taste.
There are so many ways to incorporate pumpkin into your diet, you might be hard-pressed to choose which way to go first! Check out these amazing recipes to get you started.
Quinoa is the savior grain of the gluten intolerant. It's got 7 grams of protein in it, which you know is going to help keep you feeling full, plus it's got a low-calorie count compared to other grains.
It's a great substitute for rice or pasta, and you can even make pasta noodles out of it for a healthier, gluten-free option to wheat.
It also has a low glycemic index so it's safe for diabetics to eat. Perhaps the best part about quinoa is that it's one of the few complete vegetable proteins!
Have you noticed that most foods that are good for you, like vegetables and fruits, have a high- water content? That's because they are low energy density foods, which means they have fewer calories so you can eat more of them.
Try out these recipes that include all the best foods for weight loss.
It's a potato and it's sweet. What's not to like about that?
If you really love potatoes, but you don't like the carbs that come with them, give sweet potatoes a try. While they only have a few less grams of carbs than white potatoes, they have a higher water content, which makes them less dense.
They've also got twice the fiber as a regular potato, which is good for the gut and supports weight loss.
Need a PLAN to put these foods together?
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