Healthy bodies come in all shapes and sizes. While weight loss is not a magic bullet for health, and not everyone needs to pursue weight loss, it might be something you want to work toward to feel your healthiest.
Coupled with regular movement, your diet can affect your health outcomes. (Just make sure to talk with a healthcare professional before making drastic changes!)
If losing weight is your goal, these 18 foods may help support a healthy weight loss journey, according to science.
Whole eggs
Once feared for being high in cholesterol, whole eggs have been making a comeback.
These fears were rooted in misconceptions that overlooked how your body regulates cholesterol levels. Your body sources it, as needed, from your diet or your liver to maintain its baseline levels.
While people with elevated baseline levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol should be more conscious of how much cholesterol they get in their diet, moderate egg consumption — between 7–12 eggs a week — has been proven safe for many people.
Although a higher intake of eggs may raise the levels of LDL cholesterol in some people, eggs are one of the best foods to eat if you’re looking to reach or maintain a healthier weight.
Eggs are incredibly nutrient-dense. Interestingly, almost all its nutrients are found in the yolks — like choline and vitamin D — though egg whites deliver 4–6 grams of protein each .
Because they’re high in protein and fat, they help you feel full.
That’s key, because responding to your body’s internal fullness and hunger cues can help you reach or maintain a healthy weight. In other words, getting in the habit of eating when you’re hungry and stopping when you’re full can help your weight loss goals.
A study including 50 healthy people with more weight showed that eating eggs and buttered toast for breakfast — instead of cereal, milk, and orange juice — increased feelings of satiety (fullness) for the next 4 hours .
Similarly, another study among 48 healthy adults found that those who ate an egg-based breakfast, either high or moderate in both protein and fiber, reported higher satiety than those who ate low fiber cereal and milk.
Since feeling satiated can help combat overeating driven by feeling overly hungry, eating eggs may support your weight loss goals while also packing a ton of healthful nutrients into your day.
Leafy greens
Leafy greens include kale, spinach, collard greens, Swiss chard, and a few others.
They have several properties that make them perfect for reaching or maintaining a healthy weight. For example, they pack fiber and nutrients that keep you satiated and hydrated.
What’s more, leafy greens contain thylakoids, plant compounds that have been linked with increased satiety and better appetite management in at least two human studies.
It’s worth noting, however, that both studies are small, and participants took a 5-gram thylakoid supplement — the amount found in about 3.5 ounces (100 grams) of raw spinach.
Those receiving even a single dose of the supplement reported better appetite management, resulting in weight loss.
However, more research in humans is needed to understand the effect of thylakoids from food sources as a tool for achieving a healthy weight — as well as their long-term effects in supplement form.
In the meantime, leafy greens boast an assortment of fiber and micronutrients and are almost always a great addition to your diet.
Adding leafy greens to your diet can help you feel satiated and reduce cravings for less nutritious foods. Learning to respond to your body’s internal cues of hunger and fullness can aid your larger healthy weight loss goals.
If you’re taking medications, such as blood thinners like warfarin (Coumadin), speak with a healthcare professional or a registered dietitian about how many leafy greens you should eat daily to find the right balance.
Leafy greens are high in vitamin K, which may interact with your medication. Consistent vitamin K intake is key.
Salmon
Fatty fish like salmon are incredibly nutritious and very satisfying.
Salmon is loaded with high quality protein, healthy fats, and various important nutrients. That combination keeps you satiated and can help you reach a healthier weight.
Salmon is loaded with omega-3 fatty acids, which may help reduce inflammation. Inflammation plays a major role in obesity and metabolic disease.
What’s more, fish — and seafood, in general — may also supply a significant amount of iodine.
The nutrient is necessary for proper thyroid function, which is important to keep your metabolism running optimally.
But studies show that a significant number of people don’t fill their iodine needs. Adding fatty fish to your diet can help you consume enough iodine.
Mackerel, trout, sardines, herring, tuna, and other types of fatty fish are also excellent for your health.
Cruciferous vegetables
Cruciferous vegetables include broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts.
Like other vegetables, they’re high in fiber and tend to be incredibly filling.
What’s more, these types of veggies contain decent amounts of protein. They’re not nearly as high in protein as animal foods or legumes, but still high for vegetables.
A combination of protein, fiber, and low energy density (low calorie content) makes cruciferous vegetables the perfect foods to include in your meals if you want to lose weight.
They’re also highly nutritious and contain compounds that may lower your risk of developing cancer. Keep in mind, though, that no amount of cruciferous vegetables can replace recommended cancer screenings or proper cancer treatment.
Potatoes and other root vegetables
White potatoes seem to have fallen out of favor — possibly, at least in part, due to the rise of lower carb diets.
For what it’s worth, potatoes and other root vegetables have several properties that make them wonderful foods for weight loss and optimal health.
They contain an incredibly diverse range of nutrients — a little bit of almost everything you need.
They’re particularly high in potassium, a nutrient that most people don’t get enough of. Potassium plays an important role in blood pressure management.
On a scale called the Satiety Index, which measures how filling different foods are, boiled white potatoes scored the highest of all the foods tested.
What this means is that by eating boiled white or sweet potatoes, you’re more likely to naturally feel full. You’ll also be providing your body with essential nutrients.
If you allow potatoes to cool for a while after boiling, they will form high amounts of resistant starch, a fiber-like substance that has been shown to have various health benefits, including weight loss .
Sweet potatoes, turnips, and other root vegetables are also excellent choices.
Beans and legumes
Beans and other legumes can be beneficial for weight loss. These include lentils, black beans, kidney beans, and some others.
Those foods tend to be high in protein and fiber, which are two nutrients that promote satiety. They also tend to contain some resistant starch.
Due to their high fiber content, beans can cause gas and bloating in some people. Preparing them properly can help mitigate these side effects, though. Try buying your beans dry and soaking them for several hours before preparing.
Soups
Soup can be a delicious way to increase your intake of vegetables and whole grains you may not get enough of otherwise. However, soup varieties that are cream-based or that include processed meats aren’t going to provide the same nutritional boost.
Between the slurping, smelling, tasting, cooling, and chewing, soup takes some people longer to eat than other foods. Eating slowly may help you eat more mindfully. It could also help keep you from eating past fullness.
Feeling satisfied and nourishing your body while listening and responding to your body’s hunger and fullness cues are important in reaching and maintaining a healthy weight.
If you would like a richer soup, there are ways to increase its creaminess without the use of heavy cream, which can add less healthy saturated fat.
Try blending in avocado, which helps increase the fiber count of your soup, or cashews. You can also slice avocado on top as a garnish to the soup.
Because soups are inherently liquids, and therefore hydrate you, they may promote fullness and support weight management. Incorporating a vegetable-based clear soup before your meal can be a way to feel more satisfied and to lose weight healthfully.
Cottage cheese
Dairy products tend to be high in protein.
One of the most protein-rich dairy products is cottage cheese, which is mostly protein.
Eating cottage cheese is a great way to boost your protein intake, which is important for building and maintaining muscle. It’s also very satiating and high in calcium.
There may even be a relationship between calcium intake and healthy weight, but more research is needed in this area.
Other high protein dairy products include Greek yogurt and skyr.
Nuts
Nuts are high fat foods that also provide you with protein, fiber, and other plant compounds that benefit heart health.
They make excellent snacks since they contain balanced amounts of protein, fiber, and healthy fats.
Studies have shown that eating nuts can improve metabolic health and even promote weight loss.
What’s more, population studies have shown that people who eat nuts tend to get more nutrients and be at a healthier weight than those who don’t.
Like any high fat food, you’ll want to be mindful that you’re eating only to the point of satiety. So, do mind your portion sizes if your goal is to lose weight.
Try eating a handful of unsalted nuts at first, and see how you feel after about 15–20 minutes. If you still feel hungry, try half of another handful and give yourself some time to digest.
The bottom line
Many foods are delicious, nutritious, and supportive of your goals to reach or maintain a healthier weight. These are mainly whole foods like fish, lean meat, vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds, and legumes.
Some minimally processed foods, such as probiotic yogurt and oatmeal, are also excellent choices.
Along with moderation and regular exercise, eating these nutritious foods should help pave the way to a healthy life.
