The main challenge facing people who want to lose weight is definitely finding a balanced diet that is nutritious enough and at the same time nice.
You probably already know from your own experience that many of the diets that promise to make you lose weight quickly are quite difficult to maintain over time. In fact some of them are real torture!
Some of these most popular diets are so extreme that, frankly, they become unbearable with the passing of weeks, let alone months. The secret of a good diet to lose weight is that it is nutritious, low in calories and that it is also pleasant enough to be adopted in the long term.
Fortunately for us, there is a good selection of foods that are not only nutritious, but are also low in calories and delicious.
Here is a tasty list of low-calorie foods that can be part of your daily diet, and that will surely make you lose weight in the shortest possible time.
Table of Contents
Red fruits or berries
Greek yogurt
Chia
Eggs
Fish
Lean meat
Watermelon
Legumes
Red berries or berries
The name “red fruits” is widely used to designate a variety of fruits or berries, among which are raspberries, blackberries, blueberries and, of course, strawberries. Red fruits contain a large amount of antioxidants, minerals and essential vitamins to maintain good health.
Berries are excellent for weight loss due to their high fiber content, which helps reduce feelings of hunger. To this we must add that they provide very few calories.
Berries reduce appetite due to the presence of pectin, which has the marvelous property of disguising the feeling of stomach emptiness, increasing the feeling of fullness as has been shown in some studies carried out both in animals and in humans.
Greek Yogurt
Greek yogurt is another irreplaceable ally whose main characteristic is to alleviate the feeling of hunger, providing the minimum amount of calories. Thus we have that 150 g of Greek yogurt provide only 130 calories.
Some studies have shown how eating Greek yogurt decreases the feeling of hunger when compared to eating other less healthy foods in the same quantity. Best of all, is that after eating Greek yogurt, the feeling of fullness that follows prevents you from feeling the desire to eat more food for several hours, so we can talk about a sustained and long-lasting effect throughout the day.
Chia
Chia seeds are rightly considered a superfood. Chia combines a high protein and fiber content with a very low amount of calories. As an example, 28g of chia seeds provide only 135 calories, but also provide an incredible 11 grams of fiber and 4.5 grams of protein.
One of the peculiar characteristics that makes chia so special is that it has a type of fiber called «water-soluble fiber». This type of water-soluble fiber has the peculiarity of absorbing water and swelling in the stomach, generating a feeling of fullness and reducing hunger.
Chia’s ability to absorb water in the stomach is so amazing that it can absorb 10 to 12 times its own weight in water. This makes chia a must-have food for weight loss.
Eggs
The egg has been considered at all times as the ideal food par excellence. This humble food contains a large amount of protein, vitamins and minerals, which is why it is recommended in cases of malnutrition and should be part of the daily diet of all people, regardless of their age.
The best thing about the game is that its caloric intake is practically nil. An average egg has only 72 calories, but on the other hand, it provides an impressive amount of vitamins, minerals and proteins, up to 6 g.
Experts agree that the best time of day to eat eggs is in the morning, since they have the characteristic of reducing the feeling of hunger during the rest of the day.
Fish
Fish has accompanied humans as a superfood since the dawn of civilization. Fish provides a truly impressive amount of protein and also essential oils that are essential for our health. For example, 85 g of fish provide 25 g of protein and only 70 calories.
Researchers have identified the hormone that stimulates and increases the feeling of hunger: ghrelin. The good news is that they have also discovered that eating protein foods such as fish considerably reduces ghrelin levels in humans.
It is not surprising, therefore, that in a study carried out to assess the impact of meat, fish and poultry, it was found without a doubt that the meat that reduced the feeling of hunger more effectively it was the fish meat.
Lean meat
There are many studies that demonstrate the effectiveness of lean meat in reducing the feeling of hunger in humans. These studies have been done with turkey, chicken, and also low-fat beef.
It has been found, for example, that the average chicken breast provides 35 g of protein and only 185 calories. Science already knows with certainty that a protein deficiency in the diet generates an increase in the sensation of hunger and the consequent desire to ingest calories in an uncontrolled way.
Watermelon
Watermelon is another superfood that contains a large amount of water, which increases feelings of fullness and decreases hunger. Additionally, watermelon is high in vitamin C and vitamin A. A cup of watermelon only provides 46 calories, but on the other hand it also provides a large amount of fiber.
The benefit of watermelon for weight loss is such that some specialists even call it “the negative calorie fruit”, meaning that often the calorie intake of watermelon is less than the amount of calories that the human body burns to digest the watermelon.
In other words, the digestion process of the watermelon causes the body to lose more calories than those provided by this fruit, with the consequent loss of weight. Isn’t it magnificent?
Another fruit with properties similar to watermelon, that is to say with minimal calorie intake is melon.
Pulses
Legumes are high in fiber and protein, so they generate a feeling of satiety and fullness immediately after eating them. A cup of legumes (for example, lentils, chickpeas or beans) provide 18 g of protein, 16 g of fiber and only 230 calories.