17 Best Weight Loss Foods People Swear By

If you’re trying to lose weight, these are the best weight loss foods for women! From salmon to sweet potatoes and spinach, you’ll get so many healthy food ideas to incorporate into your diet.

Would you believe dark chocolate is on this best foods for weight loss list?

Yes, you really can have dark chocolate and lose weight!  I’m just as happy about this too. There are also some awesome weight loss tips included throughout this post as well.

 

Best Foods For Weight Loss

Just a  few things to keep in mind with this list:

 

Eating these foods does not mean you will lose weight.

No one food alone will help you lose weight. Having an overall balanced and healthy diet combined with exercise will help you achieve your weight loss goals.

If you’re chowing down on these foods, plus eating tons of ice cream, you’re not going to lose weight.

I wish that were the case though, don’t you?

 

Some of these foods may not be for everyone. 

For example, some people find they lose weight easier not eating carbs, while others are just fine. Pick the foods that work for you and your lifestyle.

There is no one size fits all approach when it comes to food. This list doesn’t just cater to one diet, it is a general list.

 

Don’t eat food you don’t like just because it might help you lose weight.

There are so many healthy options for you to enjoy. With so many weight loss foods out there (even beyond this list), there is no need to pigeon hole yourself and eat foods you hate.

If you don’t like what you’re eating, it will be harder to stick to a diet.

 

Let’s agree to disagree when it comes to foods. 

We are all individuals and some foods may be healthy for you, but not for me.

For instance, citrus fruits are healthy, but some people may stay away from citrus because it causes heartburn.

Sometimes even experts debate upon if a food is good for you or not and both sides can have compelling arguments.

The bottom line is always doing what’s best for you!

 

Try new things. What do you have to lose (except weight)??

There might be food on here you have never tried before.

I encourage you to experiment with your diet, you never know you may discover some new yummy food ideas (but you won’t know unless you try it).

Maybe make a goal to try one new food a month. Then you can build up a list of weight loss staple foods.  These are go-to foods you can stock up on.

 

Top Weight Loss Foods For Women

In no particular order, here are some awesome weight loss foods!!

Let me know what you think of this weight loss food list. Do you have any foods you feel like help you with weight loss??  Feel free to share in the comments below!

 

1. Berries

Need something sweet, but healthy?  Berries are where it’s at to get your natural sugar fix!

Swapping out refined sugar from your diet and replacing it with berries or other fruit is going to help you lose weight, not to mention be healthier.

My go-to berries that end up on my shopping list are strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries.  Here’s a list of twenty types of berries and their health benefits.

 

2. Dark Chocolate

You may be surprised that chocolate is on this list. It couldn’t be a diet food or could it?

Studies have found that eating a little bit of dark chocolate will help control your appetite.

In addition, dark chocolate is also good for your gut. Who knew right?

Now, this is one you don’t want to overdo because it is high in calories. Overeating chocolate may actually lead to weight gain.

But it’s nice to know you can indulge in something that’s healthy and may prevent you from going on a junk food binge! So tonight treat yourself to a little dark chocolate square! Yum!

 

4. Beans & Lentils

Beans and lentils are amazing for weight loss because they are one of the most fiber-rich foods on the planet. Both cooked lentils and beans have around 15 grams of fiber in one cup.

That’s a big chunk of your fiber for the day.

 

Why is fiber important for weight loss?

Well, fiber is very filling which will help you eat less. Another great thing about fiber is it keeps everything ummm moving (if you know what I mean).

Let’s just say your trips to the bathroom for #2 will become pretty regular every day if you get enough fiber.

 

5. Eggs – Easy weight loss food idea!

Eggs are one of the healthiest foods out there.  Low in calories, yet high in protein, eggs will keep you full longer than a lot of other foods.  This, in turn, will help you from overeating throughout the day.

You can make eggs so many ways, which is a must to not get tired of them if you’re eating them every day.

 

Weight Loss Tip: If you want a filling breakfast, start your day off right with a scramble. Two eggs have around 150 calories and a whopping twelve grams of protein!

Add your favorite veggies and meat or vegetarian protein for a hearty breakfast that will keep you full well past breakfast.

Here are some tasty egg muffin recipes to make. They are a great on the go breakfast idea, just reheat them in the microwave.

 

6. Ginger

One non-scientific reason I personally believe why ginger is beneficial is it adds so much flavor to your food.

Add a little fresh ginger to boring, bland chicken. Believe me, your tastebuds will thank you!

 

Weight Loss Tip: Using fresh herbs and spices to jazz up your meals is going to help you stick to your healthy diet.

 

A (more scientific) reason ginger is great for weight loss is it may reduce hunger.

This small study found that overweight men who ate ginger actually stayed full longer.  Bring on the ginger!

 

My favorite ways to add ginger to your diet:

• • Grating fresh ginger into a stir fry.  Ginger goes especially well with pork or chicken.
  • Straining fresh ginger and a squeeze of lemon in warm water. This is my favorite fat burning drink. Add a tiny bit of honey for sweetness. If you don’t have fresh ginger readily available, you can  buy ginger tea (just make sure the only ingredient is ginger).
  • Straining fresh ginger in green tea for a little zing!

 

7. Avocados: Best superfoods for weight loss!

If you’re looking for a natural appetite suppressant, avocados just might be your answer!

One study from Nutrition Journal found that when participants ate just half an avocado with their lunch they had a 40%  lower desire to eat more for hours than the other participants who didn’t eat any avocado.

So no need to ditch your avocado toast. Maybe just opt for whole wheat bread instead of white.

Need a great avocado toast recipe?

This recipe for avocado toast for weight loss only takes 5 minutes to make!

 

8. Oatmeal For Weight Loss

The fiber in oatmeal combined with the liquid you put in it really fills you up.

Add fruit or nuts to your daily bowl of oatmeal and you’ll be full for hours!  It makes such a hearty breakfast.

This overnight oatsfweight loss sm recipe is amazing.  Talk about an easy breakfast!

 

9. Brussel Sprouts – Good fat burning food!

Some veggies just don’t fill you up the way Brussels sprouts do.  Not only are they filling, but they also are delicious roasted.

Another perk is if you are on a low carb or keto diet, they taste “carby” without the carbs.

Which may help you stick to your diet.

 

(By the way, here is a fabulous roasted Brussels sprouts recipe.)

 

Read: 50 Weight Loss Smoothies That Are Amazing

 

10. Regular or Greek Yogurt

So before I get into why yogurt is great for weight loss, I wanted to point out that either having plain regular yogurt or Greek yogurt is the way to go.

Many of the flavored yogurts have added sugar and processed ingredients.

Add fruit, nuts or a little honey to add flavor to your yogurt.  Berries (also on this list) are especially tasty in yogurt

 

Weight Loss Tip: If fresh berries are too expensive where you live or you want a cold treat in the summer, try frozen berries. They are ridiculously good in Greek yogurt!

 

So, back to why yogurt rocks when it comes to weight loss…

Yogurt is high in protein which helps you stay fuller longer. It is also filled with probiotics which can help boost weight loss.

 

11. Hummus

This is one of the few foods on this list that isn’t a whole food.  Hummus is primarily made of chickpeas which are high in fiber and other nutrients.

What I love about hummus is it helps me to eat more veggies.  If it’s hard for you to eat vegetables, try dipping them in some hummus.  This makes a pretty low-calorie snack.

Another alternative to veggies is eating them with whole wheat crackers or pita bread.

 

12. Green Tea

Well not a food but drink, this one was too good to leave off the list!

Green tea is rich in antioxidants that are very healthy for you.  One antioxidant in particular called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) can improve metabolism.

Not only that but caffeine is an appetite suppressant.  So having a cup or two a day will help you to eat less.

Just make sure you don’t drink green tea too late because it may affect your sleep.

 

13. Nuts

For so long people would say nuts are bad for weight loss because they’re high in fat and calories.

The thing is if you don’t overeat nuts, they can be very beneficial for weight loss because they are so high in protein.

And as mentioned again and again in this post, high protein equals being full longer.  Being full longer equals eating less. Eating less equals losing weight.

Sorry to keep boring you with that, but it’s true.

 

Weight Loss Tip: Nuts are one of the best healthy on the go snacks. Stash a baggie of nuts in your purse, car or desk at work.

 

14. Sweet Potatoes

Like me, you may be shocked to learn that potatoes have a higher amount of potassium than bananas!

One cup of sweet potatoes has a whopping 448 mg of potassium!

One great thing about potassium is it really gets rid of belly bloat. If you’re bloated from eating too much salty food, potassium evens out the sodium in your system.

This helps tremendously when you feel bloated and yucky.

 

Weight Loss Tip: When I’m too lazy to cook sweet potatoes in the oven or on the stove, I microwave them. Here’s how to microwave them.

It takes only five minutes to cook this way, you could even cook them at work. Easy peasy!

 

15. Salmon

Salmon has so many good things going for it, like being high in omega-3 fatty acids.  Not only that, but it’s also a great protein source for how low it is in calories.

Salmon may also help fight belly bloat because it’s high in potassium, which counteracts the effects of sodium.

 

16. Apples

You may want to eat apples not just to keep the doctor away but for weight loss! Apples are loaded with fiber, a medium apple has 4.4 grams.

Spread some nut butter on apple slices for a healthy snack that’ll keep you satisfied for hours.

 

17. Spinach To Lose Weight

High in iron, vitamin A, folic acid and so many other nutrients, spinach is by far one of the healthiest foods out there.

Since spinach is so low in calories, it is a perfect choice when trying to lose weight.

 

17. Watermelon

Staying hydrated is necessary for weight loss and health. Watermelon is made up of 90% water which will not only help hydrate you but will keep you full.

It’s also a very low calorie fruit,  a 100 gram serving has only 30 calories.

 

What are your favorite natural weight loss foods?

Comment below and let me know!

 

Read Next: 8 Weight Loss Tips For Keto Dieters

 

Hope you enjoyed this

Healthy Foods For Weight Loss List!