Weight Loss-Friendly Foods to Kickstart Your Diet

The older I get, the more difficult it seems to lose weight. In my early 20’s, I could go to the gym and then eat whatever I want and the weight would fall off. In my late 20’s, those tasty snacks started to fall around the waist no matter how much exercise I did. Now in my mid 30’s, I eat a chocolate bar and seem to throw on half a stone … overnight! Now I need to find some weight loss-friendly foods!

I began my current weight loss journey later last year. I have learnt so much about my body and what I put into it on this journey.

I figured out that for me, exercise has little impact on my weight loss, what counts is my diet. I’ve been making some drastic changes to what I put into my body for the maximum long-lasting weight loss effect.

Recently I have been scouring the internet to find weight loss-friendly foods.

Some of my Favourite Weight Loss-Friendly Foods

Eggs

High in protein and healthy fats, eggs are such a versatile weight loss food. They can be eaten as snacks or as an ingredient in a meal. Because they’re high in protein, eggs keep you fuller for longer.

Leafy Green Vegetables

Leafy greens, such as kale, spinach and lettuce are a great aid to weight loss!

Not only are leafy greens low in calories but they also create extra fat burning cells. They are also high in fibre helping you feel fuller for longer.

Sweet Potato

A new favourite staple food of mine! I simply love sweet potato. I mainly eat them as fries (it’s a great alternative to regular fries). A large sweet potato amounts to less than 200 calories. They’re loaded with Vitamin A and filled with fibre.

Chicken

Chicken is low calories and high in protein, making you feel fuller for longer. Protein also helps the body to burn extra calories. Eat cooked chicken as a snack or with a salad or vegetables to make a tasty and nutritious meal.

Fruit

I have an incredibly sweet tooth. Whenever I need a sugar fix, I now head for the fruit bowl. Fruit has received a bad press in recent years due to its high natural sugar content. However, fruit has many weight loss benefits. Fruit is generally low in calories and high in fibre. It really is the ultimate snack food.

Red Fruits

I recently discovered the health benefits of red fruits! Watermelon is a fabulous weight loss-friendly food. Upto 90% of the composition of watermelon is water which means it will keep you fuller for longer.

Eating red fruits can help to reduce belly fat as well as cholesterol.

Pink Lady apples and plums are also a great choice. As well as raspberries, strawberries and red grapefruit.

Almonds

Nuts are generally higher in calories than some other healthy foods. However, nuts can help you to feel fuller for longer because not only are they high in protein but also high in fibre too! Recent studies have also indicated that nuts such as almonds can help reduce belly fat.

Greek Yoghurt

Greek Yoghurt is a great option for weight loss but also if you’re looking to lose fat but not muscle mass. Greek yoghurt is high in protein and low in fat. It’s also a great source of calcium.

Adding a serving of Greek Yoghurt to your breakfast alongside oats is a great way to start the day – this dish will keep you fuller for longer.

Cinnamon

Speaking of breakfast, cinnamon is a great ingredient to add to your morning porridge or your yoghurt. Cinnamon is high in fibre making you feel fuller for longer. It boosts the metabolism which aids weight loss.

One of my favourite weight loss-friendly snacks is apples drizzled with honey and sprinkled with cinnamon.

Radishes

I recently learnt that radish is categorised as a ‘zero calorie’ food. This isn’t to say that the food contains no calories at all, or in fact that you burn more calories eating the food than you intake, merely that foods in this group are extremely low in calories. Half a cup of radishes contains only 12 calories.

I added radishes to my diet because they really do curb hunger. I crunch on radishes as a mid-morning snack. They also contain various nutrients which are essential for a healthy body. At the moment, radishes are my favourite of all weight loss-friendly foods!

Carrots

I’ve added carrots to my evening meals most nights in the form of carrot spaghetti!

I’ve cut down on potatoes, pasta and bread but still needed to trick my brain into thinking I’m binging on carbs. I invested in a ‘spiraliser’ and now make my own carrot spaghetti!

I also crunch on carrots during the day. They take so long to eat that I feel incredibly full after eating one!

Cucumber

Cucumber is a fabulous healthy snack. I have a stash of cucumber sticks in the fridge ready for when I need them. Cucumber is filled with water making you feel fuller for longer. They are also high in nutrients. Cucumber is extremely low in calories – a cup contains only 16 calories!

As well as carrot spaghetti I’ve also made cucumber spaghetti a few times as well! It works really well as a carb alternative!

Popcorn

There are some great low-calorie popcorns on the market and they taste delicious! I do love my crisps but I’ve been replacing them with popcorn as an alternative healthy snack. Popcorn isn’t something you can binge eat if you’re looking to loose weight as you could do with other items on this list. But popcorn is a great high fibre alternative to sugary snacks.

Green Tea

Not quite a food but a great weight loss aid beverage nonetheless. I talked about the health benefits of Green Tea in one of my posts. I’d just like to reiterate how great this stuff is! I find myself drinking more Green Tea when I’m hungry and it really helps to curb my hunger pangs.

I also drink fruit teas, such as cinnamon and cherry and raspberry tea when I feel I need a sugar fix.

Are there any weight loss-friendly foods you could recommend? Let us know in the comments below.

All images from Pixabay.