Healthy Foods to Lose Weight

With obesity becoming a major health problem, it comes as no surprise that weight watchers end up spending a lot of their time in researching on low calorie food items that foster weight loss. Of late, weight loss and control are topics which have been the subjects of many a diary, directory, and thesis. However, most books that are written on losing weight end up confusing the reader by beating round the bush and presenting a large amount of unrelated information, rather than the bare necessary facts. Therefore, to make life a wee bit easier for all of you who are desperately on the lookout for healthy foods for weight loss, this article presents a concise and to-the-point list of healthy foods that can be consumed to lose weight.

When aiming at weight loss, selecting non-fatty, low calorie foods is important, yes, but then so is fulfilling the nutritional requirements of your body. Not being able to achieve a healthy balance between these two things can prove to be harmful for your health. This is an important aspect of weight loss and one that has been taken into consideration by me while preparing the following list of foods.

Fruits
Fruits play an important role in weight loss. One of the main reasons for this is that fruits contain a high amount of fiber which gives a feeling of fullness without the added burden of extra calories. The following fruits assist weight loss:

• Grape
• Apple
• Orange
• Sweet lime
• Watermelon
• Papaya
• Guava
• Pineapple
• Peach

Vegetables
Vegetables too, contain a number of nutrients in addition to fiber, which help in losing weight and staying healthy too. Here is a bit of information on vegetable diet to lose weight. The following list of foods proves to be beneficial for weight loss:

• Green vegetables such as spinach, broccoli, green peas, beans and lentils
• Sprouts and pulses
• Cucumber and tomato
• Cabbage, cauliflower, carrot, beetroot, etc.
• Pumpkin
• Corn
• Turnip
• Radish
• Salads

Poultry
The following poultry and dairy products should be on your list if you are interested in losing weight in a healthy way.

• Eggs (minus the yolk)
• Low-fat dairy products
• Fish
• Chicken
• Crabs, lobsters and shrimp
• Low-fat yogurt

Other Foods

• Protein supplements, energy drinks, and protein shakes
• Fresh citrus fruit juices
• Whole wheat bread
• Brown rice
• Green tea and herbal tea
• Spaghetti, macaroni and pasta (without cheese)
• Soybean and tofu
• Popcorn

This was a generic list of low-to-medium calorie healthy foods for weight loss. At the same time, one should not forget certain high fiber foods such as avocados, pears, oatmeal, cereals, strawberries, grapefruit, mushrooms, Brussels sprouts, barley, etc. Now, for your benefit, we will look at the actual calorie content that some of these foods have.

Calorie Chart

Food Item	Calories
One apple (medium)	80
One raw tomato (medium)	25
One baked potato (medium, with skin)	160
Five raw mushrooms (medium-sized)	20
One cucumber (medium)	35
One banana	100
One cup bean sprouts (raw)	30
One spear broccoli (raw)	40
One cup Brussels sprouts (raw)	60
One cup cabbage (cooked)	30
One egg white	15
One cup macaroni (cooked)	190
Half chicken breast (without skin)	140
Prawns (3 ounces)	90
One cup brown rice (cooked)	210
Half cup fresh strawberries	25
Half cup fresh pineapple	40
One fresh papaya (medium)	115
One cup fresh grapes	60
One cup yogurt (low-fat)	145
One cup oatmeal (cooked)	145

Remember, eat healthy, and you shall stay slim and trim. Do a little bit of workout everyday, and you can achieve the desired results soon. All the best.