The 13 Best Foods for Weight Loss

Discover the best foods for weight loss and kickstart your diet today.

If you’re on a health kick and are looking to lose a few pounds, the first thing you need to know is success is cooked up in the kitchen.

You could work hard in every workout, but if your nutrition isn’t on point, you’ll struggle to shed the fat.

To help you take your body transformation up a gear, we’ve collected the best foods for weight loss right here. Check it out.

Best foods for weight loss

1. Eggs

Scramble em, fry em or mix em up into an omelette – this versatile ingredient is one of the best foods for weight loss, hands down.

Not only do they taste amazing and work for breakfast, lunch and dinner, they’re also packed full of fat-melting nutrients.

The yolk is brimming with key vitamins and minerals that are essential to a well-rounded, healthy diet.

Don’t forget about the whites either. They’re packed full of protein, and one of the best ways to lose fat is to support muscle through a high protein diet.

The fats and proteins within eggs also provide another diet-benefitting bonus you may not expect. These two macronutrients are key to increasing satiety, aka fullness. So by eating an egg-based lunch, it’s likely you’ll be able to forgo your mid-afternoon snack, keeping your cals low and your diet on track.

Add these to your daily routine as part of a calorie restricted diet and you’ll put yourself on the fast track your dream physique.

2. Leafy Greens

We’ve heard it our whole lives, but it’s true. Leafy greens are essential to achieving a healthy diet.

While they’re full of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, they’re also have some excellent weight loss properties.

They’re low calorie, low in carbohydrates and full of fibre. By eating high volumes of leafy greens like kale and spinach, you can fill up on these nutritious foods, without impacting your over calorie intake.

3. Poultry

Achieving a high-protein diet is one of the best and healthiest ways to melt away fat, and poultry like chicken and turkey is one of the leanest sources of protein you can buy.

That means it’s low calorie, low fat all while being high in muscle-building amino acids, so it’s easy to fit into a calorie-restricted diet.

Protein is key to losing weight, as it supports muscle. With more muscle on your frame (from your weightlifting workouts) your metabolism will be higher, you’ll burn more calories and drop the fat. It’s the recipe to physique success.

We’ve mentioned it before, but lots of protein is key to keeping your fuller for longer, so snacks are well and truly off the menu.

4. Salmon

This is the centrepiece to many a delicious dish, and it’s the cornerstone of a diet, which makes it one of the best foods for weight loss around.

Salmon is brimming with high-quality protein, healthy fats and bursting with flavour. On top of all that, it’s packed with a huge range of vitamins and minerals that make for a nutritious diet.

But there’s more to salmon than that. It contains omega-3 fatty acids which also reduce inflammation, which can lower the likelihood of metabolic disease and obesity.

If salmon isn’t your flavour, try other fatty fishes like mackerel, trout and sardines.

5. Beans

These little powerhouse foods are packed full of protein, fibre, vitamins and minerals, which are all essential to a healthy weight loss diet.

Not only are they good for you, they help you feel fuller for longer so you can reduce snacking and keep your calories under control.

Fitting these into your diet is essential if you’re a vegetarian or vegan. While they don’t boast a complete amino acid profile, they still pack in a load of essential muscle-building protein.

6. Chilli peppers

Bring a little heat to your weight loss diet with chilli peppers. They’re overflowing with health-supporting vitamins that will help you achieve a balanced diet.

On top of that, they contain a key compound called capsaican. This is a thermogenic ingredient, which means it heats up your body, forcing your metabolism to raise slightly. With a higher metabolic rate, you’ll burn slightly more calories than you normally would and melt away more fat.

It’s an ingredient in a huge number of natural fat burner supplements, which makes it one of the best foods for weight loss you can include in your diet.

[Related Article: 5 Best Fat Burners for Women] 

7. Quinoa

This is another one for our vegan and vegetarian brothers and sisters out there. Quinoa provides a complete amino acid protein profile – perfect for building plant-based muscle and cutting fat.

Aside from that, this is a powerhouse superfood.

It’s packed full of vitamins, fibres and versatility. Swap out your brown rice with quinoa to up your protein intake and boost the nutritional value of your lunch.

8. Oats

Ideal for a healthy breakfast or a pre-workout bowl, oats are a key part of any weight loss diet.

They’re low in calories and fats, and provide a small, but good portion of protein. All of this makes them the perfect food to fit into a calorie-controlled diet.

If you opt for steel cut oats, an unprocessed version of this superfood, you’ll benefit from a range of vitamins and minerals that help to maintain heart health.

What’s more, they offer a solution to every dieters stumbling block – breakfast. Heat up a bowl of oats and mix in your favourite protein powder to start your day off right.

9. Cruciferous vegetables

Think broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage.

These veggies are packed full of health-boosting minerals and vitamins, which help to keep your body in tip-top shape.

As far as weight loss goes, they’re packed full of fibre and are very low calories, which means they can fill you up, without ruining your dieting efforts.

Pack some of these into your meals and keep yourself fuller for longer, so you don’t need to turn to snacks throughout the day.

10. Avocado

This fruit is having its moment in the spotlight right now, and for good reason too.

Unlike other fruits, these aren’t high in carbohydrates, but instead offer a good helping of healthy fats.

All that fibre and fat makes them the perfect addition to a good weight loss salad. Simply slice half an avocado and throw it on top of your leafy greens to stay full all afternoon.

What’s more they’re packed with antioxidants that help keep your body healthy and clear of unwanted toxins.

11. Peanut butter

While this may be high in calories, a small helping of peanut butter can be a great help to your fat loss diet.

It offers a huge range of nutrients, as well as a high fat content. This is ideal if you’re attempting the ketogenic diet, and will keep you fuller for longer.

Add it to the top of your bowl of oats for a burst of flavour, and to ensure you don’t feel the need to snack while you wait for lunch.

12. Full-fat yoghurt

Although it might higher calories than a fat-free option, this is your best bet for increased satiety, protein and nutrients.

As we well know, the above is essential for a weight loss diet, but that’s not where the benefits of full-fat yoghurt end.

This form of yoghurt also helps to promote good bacteria in the gut, which has been linked to lower risks of obesity.

What’s more, low-fat yoghurt is usually packed with sugar, which can lead to a higher calorie intake and weight gain.

13. Tofu

This is another delicious meat alternative for our veggie and vegan readers. It’s low calorie, low fat and brings a good portion of your essential muscle-building amino acids.

Add these to your diet to add more protein to the mix, without overdoing it on the calories. As far as meat alternatives go, it’s delicious, healthy and ideal for a weight loss diet.

The final word – gym girl hints and tips

These foods are all packed with incredible weight loss benefits. Whether it’s high protein, health-boosting properties, keeping you full or supporting your workouts, they can all put you on the right track to achieving your body goal.

Although enjoy a varied diet with the best foods for weight loss, you need to think about your calories too.

Fat shredding is all about achieving a calorie deficit, and you could have the best foods for weight loss in the world, but without that core element, you won’t go anywhere fast.

Check out our guide to IIFYM dieting to find out how you can calculate your calories and macro nutrients, and track your food intake accurately.

Meal prep everything in advance and watch the results come rolling in.