What to Eat to Lose Weight & Stay Healthy

Losing weight isn't just about what you don't eat, it's also about what you do eat. Starving yourself is unhealthy and won't lead to long-term weight loss. There are plenty of great-tasting and healthy foods that will help you drop the pounds even quicker.

Salads

It may come as no surprise that salads are great for losing weight. It seems to be the staple meal of dieters. There is good reason for this. Salads fill you up on great crunchy, raw vegetables. Raw vegetables are low in calories and take your body a while to digest, so you should feel full for a good amount of time. For more energy and longer-lasting fullness, add a protein source to your salad, such as lean grilled chicken breast, salmon or legumes like garbanzo beans or black beans.

Be careful of which dressing you choose. Go for a clear dressing with low calories, or a homemade blend of vinegar, oil and lemon juice. Avoid add-ons like cheese, bacon, croutons and the other goodies that turn a low-calorie lunch into a fattening meal.

Fiber

Eating foods that are high in fiber will fill you up for much longer. That is because fiber naturally takes a long time to digest, staying in your system longer than other foods. Switch to a high-fiber cereal, such as bran or shredded wheat, so that you're not starving by the time lunch rolls around.

You can find versions of your favorite foods that have added fiber, like high-fiber breads and nutrition bars. If you prefer, you can drink your fiber by mixing up fiber powder, like Metamucil, with water for an instant fiber-packed drink.

Snacking

If you're an avid snacker, you may miss having something small that you can mindlessly eat. Replace chips and cookies with healthy snacks like grapes and air-popped popcorn. Frozen grapes will satisfy any sweet-tooth and can be popped in your mouth just like candy. For only around 100 calories, you can devour up to four cups of air-popped popcorn. You will get the same crunch and saltiness of chips with only a fraction of the calories.

Eggs

Eggs are delicious, easy to make, affordable and may help you to lose weight. The reason behind this is that they are packed with protein with relatively few calories. This protein boost will keep you full and will help you less later on in the day. Are you concerned about eating the yolk? Don't be. It is perfectly safe for a healthy person to eat an egg a day. If you have cholesterol problems, stick with just the whites. It still contains plenty of protein.