Healthy Weight Loss Foods

Fad diets and pills don't focus on changing overall eating habits to improve health and wellness. Food choices ultimately affect your weight loss goals. There is a wide variety of healthy foods available to aid in weight loss. Many of them might even be in your own refrigerator. Healthy weight loss foods are part of a well-balanced, nutrient rich diet that gives you energy, fills you up and prevents snacking between meals.

Fruit is filled with antioxidants and is a good snack for dieters. Not only is fruit high in fiber and vitamins, but it is also portable. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's food pyramid includes two to four servings of fruit a day. Variety in choosing fruits and moderating the serving is the key to achieving weight loss goals. One serving consists of a medium sized piece of fruit or a half-cup of chopped fruit. Eat all fruit in moderation. Some fruits contain more sugar than others. Limit consumption of bananas, grapes and canned or processed fruits because of their high sugar content.

The USDA recommends that adults consume three to five servings of vegetables each day. Vegetables are low in calories and exceptionally healthy. Rich in vitamins and natural antioxidants, vegetables function to replace the bulk in a dieter's meal that is often taken up with starchy foods such as pasta and breads. It's best to choose a variety of vegetables with lots of color. A great mixture of color on your plate not only results in fewer calories consumed but also the benefit of a wide range of vitamins and minerals to boost your health. Serving sizes should be 1 cup of leafy green vegetables and 1/2 cup of chopped vegetables. A good example of a single serving of vegetables would be 10 baby carrots or a single medium sized tomato. Every single vegetable is a healthy weight loss food when consumed in moderation and, of course, not slathered with cheese, butter or salt. Just the lonely avocado should be avoided because of its high fat content. Make sure to consume vegetables fresh or steamed to reap the most benefits for this nutrient rich food. Potatoes are a perfectly acceptable vegetable as long as you don't cover the potato with butter, sour cream or cheese.

Adding protein to your list of healthy weight loss foods doesn't mean your diet has fallen to the wayside. Lean protein often helps dieters feel fuller. Lean proteins should include 2 to 3 oz. of chicken or turkey breast without the skin, tuna, lean (top round) beef, fish or beans. Don't defeat the purpose of adding protein to your diet by frying the meat in vegetable oil. Include meat in your healthy weight loss plan in moderation and make purchase lean cuts of meat or remove all visible fat.

No weight loss discussion is complete without mentioning water. Adequate water consumption is one of the key ingredients to a successful weight loss plan. First, water fills you up when you're hungry so include a full glass at every meal. Second, water helps to flush toxins and impurities from our systems. Starting a diet by consuming 60 to 80 oz. of water a day will aid your body in clearing itself of waste products and all the sugar and preservatives you are no longer eating.