Healthy food doesn’t have to be boring. All sorts of great-tasting and nutritious food can help curb your appetite, increase your metabolism, and lose weight. Check out the following satisfying and healthy food to lose weight fast.
1. Eggs have gotten a bad reputation for being high in cholesterol, but they are an excellent source of protein and an important food for a weight loss diet. Protein helps keep you feeling full longer than simple carbohydrates with the same amount of calories. Protein may also help eliminate food cravings that come from spikes in blood sugar. By the way, it’s the yolk that is full of protein, so don’t order an egg white omelet.
2. Oatmeal is another excellent choice for breakfast. Rich in fiber, oatmeal makes you feel full and helps keep you energized. Stay away from the instant oatmeal packets because they are full of sugar. Instead, choose steel cut or plain oatmeal. It’s quick and easy to make; you can even make it in the microwave. Add nuts and seeds for protein, plus dried or fresh fruit. Sprinkle your oatmeal with cinnamon, which helps control sugar spikes. Top it off with low-fat milk, and you have a healthy, balanced, and delicious weight-loss breakfast.
3. Green tea not only keeps you hydrated without the sugar of soft drinks, it also has antioxidants that speed up your metabolism and fat burning mechanism. In a Japanese study, green tea drinkers lowered both their body mass index and their LDL cholesterol.
4. Grapefruit is what you might call a “negative calorie” food. A half a grapefruit or one glass of grapefruit juice before each meal appears to reduce insulin levels and transform calories into energy instead of fat.
5. Nuts are full of fiber so they make you feel full. They are also great sources of protein and omega-3 fats, which are healthy fats that increase the amount of fat your body burns. There’s nothing wrong with roasted and salted nuts, but if your goal is weight loss it’s best to stick with raw nuts.
6. Extra virgin olive oil is a monounsaturated fat that boosts metabolism and helps burn fat. Use it in salad dressings and marinades, and try it on bread instead of butter.
7. Hot spices like peppers and mustard increase metabolism and decrease appetite. A strong diuretic, garlic helps flush excess water weight out of your body. If you like to keep your sodium intake down, use spices instead of salt to make your food more tasty.
8. Beans contain a hormone that suppresses appetite and makes you feel fuller longer. Beans may also help even out blood sugar, reducing food cravings. Plus, a serving of beans is an inexpensive and excellent source of protein and fiber.
9. Salad not only provides fiber and important nutrients, it makes you feel full. If you eat a big salad before a meal you will fill up on low-calorie vegetables and eat less of the main course. Dress the salad with a low-cal dressing (or olive oil and vinegar) and leave out cheese and other calorie-rich foods.
10. Soup satisfies hunger and makes you feel full. To lose weight, stick with broth-based soups rather than cheesy or cream-based soups.
11. Tofu in a protein that suppresses the appetite. Add it to a vegetable stir-fry or bake it with soy sauce and ginger.
12. Fish such as salmon, tuna, and sardines increase the hormone leptin in the body, which suppresses the appetite. The more fat-burning leptin at work in your body, the more calories go to energy and the fewer go to fat.
13. Avocados help lower insulin levels, keeping your metabolism going and reducing sugar spikes and cravings.
14. Vinegar helps you feel full. Plus, it can counteract the blood sugar spike that comes after eating sweets and other refined carbohydrates. Flavored vinegars add zip to dressings without adding calories.
15 Raw vegetables fill you up and slim you down while providing essential vitamins and minerals.
Diet Don’ts
Losing weight is not just about what you eat, it’s also about what you don’t eat. If you are looking for healthy food to lose weight fast, stay away from these diet-busters:
- Sugar. Stop using sugar in your tea and coffee. Stop snacking on sweets between meals. You may be able to eat a sweet treat once in a while, but watch out—sugar can be addicting!
- Second helpings and big servings. It’s simple; when you are dieting less is better.
- Eating out. The extra calories add up when you eat lunch out every day. You can make your own sandwich with leaner meat and less butter, margarine, or mayonnaise than you will get in a restaurant sandwich.
- Whole milk. Whatever milk product you use, take it down a notch. Go from whole milk or cream to low fat milk. If you already use low fat milk, switch to fat free.
- Alcohol. Alcohol is high in calories. The more you can cut back, the faster you will lose weight.
- Buffets. There’s nothing more tempting than a buffet line. If you are at a restaurant with a buffet or smorgasbord, order from the menu if possible. If not, head for the salad bar, then find some fresh vegetables and a lean protein and make a beeline back to your table. Don’t tempt temptation by looking around at everything you shouldn’t eat.
- Soft drinks. So many calories…Try water or unsweetened ice tea.
Enjoy Your Food and Lose Weight
There is no reason losing weight has to be an unpleasant experience. You definitely do not need to eat tasteless or unhealthy food. In fact, it’s important to incorporate food you like into your weight loss program. Why? Because you are more likely to stick to a diet if you can eat the food you like. It’s also important that the food you eat is healthy, because losing weight and keeping it off requires a lifelong commitment to healthy eating. You can choose from many types of healthy food to lose weight fast, such as the ones mentioned above. Bon appétit!