8 Foods That Could Help You Lose Weight

Foods to eat to lose weight

1. Apples

These crunchy beauties are low in calories, high in fiber and filling, all attributes that benefit weight loss. A medium apple contains approximately 5 grams of fiber, enough to slow digestion so you don’t feel hungry after a snack or a meal. Apples also boast a high water content; about 85 percent of their weight is water, which helps to temper your appetite. According to the Cleveland Clinic, apples make a satisfying snack, and choosing a healthy snack over a doughnut can help you maintain a healthy weight. So grab an apple on your way out the door. You’ll look better and feel better.

2. Asparagus 

The delicate stalks of asparagus, which are harvested in spring, are low in fat and calories — really low. Half a cup, five cooked spears, contains only 20 calories, but those lovely stalks are high in soluble and insoluble fiber. Both types help keep you feeling full between meals because your body digests fiber slowly, so you’re less likely to get hungry. The downside: Asparagus contains a unique compound that gives urine a punky odor. Take heart: The odor generally dissipates within 24 to 48 hours. 

avocados regularly had lower odds of becoming overweight or obese. 

4. Broccoli 

Green heads of broccoli are available year-round, mild in taste and, best of all, beneficial in weight loss. Water accounts for more than 90 percent of broccoli’s content. Carbs, protein and a little fat make up the rest. Broccoli, like other nonstarchy vegetables, is low in calories (about 35 per cup) and rich in fiber, making it a filling food that can help control weight. The leaves and stems of broccoli are nutritious, but the florets have an even higher concentration of nutrients and phytochemicals, naturally occurring chemical compounds produced by plants. However, you may want to introduce broccoli into your diet slowly; it has been known to increase intestinal gas and flatulence.

5. Carrots

Forget the Bugs Bunny jokes, it’s time to take carrots seriously. Research suggests that including fiber-rich carrots in your diet helps curb your appetite. If you want to lose weight, eat food that contains more water and fewer calories. Here’s where carrots come in. A medium raw carrot is about 88 percent water and contains only 25 calories. If you’ve had enough of orange carrots, the most popular color, you can also find red, purple, yellow and white carrots. 

6. Cottage cheese 

People generally don’t think of cottage cheese as sophisticated or suave or worldly. But its lumpy looks hide a world of benefits, according to dietitian Julia Zumpano, of the Cleveland Clinic. Forget Swiss cheese or cheddar and head straight for cottage cheese, she advises. It’s high in protein, which helps curb your appetite and manage hormones associated with appetite and digestion. And, believe it or not, cottage cheese has become trendy. For those with lactose intolerance, cottage cheese has lower levels than many dairy foods, and lactose-free cottage cheese is available.

7. Eggs 

Whether you scramble them, hard-boil them or coddle them, eggs are a great way to start the day if you’re trying to take off extra pounds. They’re low in calories and packed with protein, which takes longer to digest, leaving you feeling satisfied and less likely to overeat at your next meal. An Australian study that provided either a breakfast of eggs and toast or cereal with milk and orange juice to overweight or obese men and women found that those who ate the egg breakfast felt less hungry and ate significantly less at lunch. Those concerned about their cholesterol may want to avoid or limit eating egg yolks and enjoy egg whites instead. For example, try an omelet with three egg whites and just one egg yolk.

8. Lentils and other pulses 

Lentils, chickpeas, beans and peas all belong to a plant family called legumes with edible seeds known as pulses. Eating about one serving a day of these nutritionally dense seeds promotes a feeling of satiety, a term researchers use when they mean a person has eaten enough to feel full. This satiety may lead to weight loss and better weight management. According to a study from the University of Toronto, participants lost an average of ¾ of a pound over six weeks by simply adding less than a cup of these seeds to their regular diet. Even more important, this modest amount seemed to prevent them from gaining it back.