The “new year, new you” trend invariably introduces fad diets. However, there’s no need to risk your health or restrict yourself so severely that you finally cave in and binge. Instead, swap the empty-calorie choices in your diet — like chips — with the options listed below. These best foods for healthy weight loss keep you sated and may budge the scale without formal measuring or calorie counting.
Is Weight Loss Only a Matter of Calories in and Calories Out?
Weight loss seems like a simple mathematical equation — you’ll shed unwanted pounds by burning more calories than you consume. However, the reality is that multiple factors influence what you weigh.
Your genes, hormones, gut microbiome variations, differences in how your cells signal one another, epigenetic influences and your body composition all impact your weight. But guess what? The reverse can also be true. For example, eating an anti-inflammatory diet may spur dramatic weight loss in those with this underlying problem while having a more modest effect on others.
It can take trial and error to identify your unique dietary needs and which foods effectively boost your healthy weight loss efforts. Be mindful, learn to listen to your body’s cues and consider keeping a food journal to identify what works best.
Foods to Add to Your Diet
These best foods for healthy weight loss have properties that enhance your weight-loss efforts. Better yet, they’re all available at your local grocery store, making it easier to improve your mealtime choices — once you know what to seek.
1. Lentil Pasta
Lentils provide plant-based protein and filling fiber. Pasta made from lentils is an easy swap for noodles made with all-purpose flour. While bleached flour can cause blood sugar fluctuations that hinder your efforts, the fiber in lentil flour keeps blood sugar stable, fighting cravings.
2. Cashews
Cashews pack a healthy punch of zinc per serving. Zinc increases leptin production, a hormone that signals fullness, helping you bust the cravings that lead to binges.
3. Ground Flaxseed
Flaxseed contains fiber and plant-based omega-3 fatty acids. Many Americans consume a disproportionate amount of omega-6s compared to omega-3s, which some researchers warn may trigger systemic inflammation. Bring back balance by substituting one cup of ground flaxseed for each one-third cup of oil when baking.
4. Pepitas
Pepitas, aka pumpkin seeds, add a healthy crunch, with vegan protein and filling fiber to keep you sated. Additionally, some alternative practitioners believe they may influence female hormones, and research suggests an extract may reduce the oxidative stress associated with menopause.
5. Sunflower Seeds
Sunflower seeds may also contribute to hormonal balance, at least in those assigned female at birth. Additionally, a recent study found that a daily dose of sunflower seed extract improved participants’ body weight, hip circumference and body mass index.
6. Kefir
You can think of kefir as drinkable yogurt. It’s readily available in many grocery stores, and some brands come in convenient, single-serve containers. It nurtures your microbiome to improve digestion, which helps weight loss in several ways. Kefir makes “the go” easier and helps your body absorb more nutrition from what you consume, cutting cravings.
7. Kombucha
Kombucha is another fermented, usually nonalcoholic beverage. However, the SCOBY, which stands for “symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast,” may contain different bacterial strains than kefir or yogurt, replenishing your gut microbiome.
8. Chunk Light Tuna
Fish is ultimately your best source of inflammation-fighting omega-3s. Chunk light tuna is available virtually everywhere and contains lower mercury levels than albacore, making it the safer choice.
9. Chicory Root
Chicory root contains inulin, a particularly filling fiber that nourishes most guts, though it can irritate some people with inflammatory bowel disease. It’s also a coffee substitute, making it a healthy food for weight loss for those seeking to reduce their java jitters.
10. Leafy Greens
Leafy greens are low in calories and high in crunch, fiber and multiple vitamins. Adding a salad to your weekly diet and enhancing wraps and sandwiches with a few leaves improves your nutrition to beat cravings.
11. Bell Peppers
Sliced bell peppers make a healthy snack substitute for high-calorie chips. Dip them in hummus for added fiber. Each serving has more vitamin C than an orange, which is vital during the cold and flu season.
12. Hot Peppers
Hot peppers contain capsaicin, which may aid your fat-burning efforts. However, the fiery flavor doesn’t literally torch calories. Instead, research suggests that the hot stuff reduces systemic inflammation, a sneaky cause of weight gain.
13. Cucumber
Cucumbers are mostly water. An entire cup contains only 16 calories, so you can eat them all day without packing on pounds. Additionally, their cooling, crisp taste enhances many dishes — try slicing them lengthwise for wraps or in spirals for an exciting twist on your usual salad.
14. Watermelon
Watermelon is among the lowest-calorie fruits, making it the perfect dessert for healthy weight loss. This fruit also hydrates you because it consists primarily of water. Unfortunately, many people mistake dehydration for hunger, hindering weight loss efforts.
15. Lemon
Limited evidence suggests that drinking lemon water may reduce blood sugar spikes after high-carbohydrate meals. It’s also more flavorful than plain water, and a cup of fizzy water with lemon has fewer calories than after-dinner alcoholic cocktails.
16. Pomegranate
Pomegranate makes the list as a sweet treat that takes forever to eat, thanks to the myriad seeds. It’s a healthy weight-loss snack or dessert that slows you down, encouraging mindful eating.
Try These Foods to Kick-Start Your Weight Loss Plan
Your New Year’s resolutions do not have to include embracing a fad diet you’ll soon abandon. Instead, take a sensible approach, replacing high-calorie, empty snacks like chips with these foods for healthy weight loss and eat your way to a sleeker you.