Cruciferous vegetables include broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and brussels sprouts.
Like other vegetables, they are high in fiber and tend to be incredibly fulfilling.
What's more... these types of veggies also tend to contain decent amounts of protein.
They're not as high in protein as animal foods or legumes, but they're high compared to most vegetables.
A combination of protein, fiber and low energy density makes
cruciferous vegetables the perfect foods to include in your meals if you
need
.
Meat has been unfairly demonized.
It has been blamed for all sorts of health problems, despite no good evidence to back it up.
Although processed meat is unhealthy, studies show that unprocessed
red meat does NOT raise the risk of heart disease or diabetes (
12,
13).
According to two big review studies, red meat has only a very weak
correlation with cancer in men, and no correlation at all in women (
14,
15).
The truth is... meat is a weight loss friendly food, because it's high in
protein.
Protein is the most fulfilling nutrient, by far, and eating a high
protein diet can make you burn up to 80 to 100 more calories per day (
16,
17,
18).
Studies have shown that increasing your protein intake to 25-30%
of calories can cut cravings by 60%, reduce desire for late-night
snacking by half, and cause weight loss of almost a pound per week...
just by
adding protein to the diet (
19,
20).
If you're on a
low-carb diet, then feel free to eat fatty meats. But if you're on a moderate- to high carbohydrate diet, then choosing
lean meats may be more appropriate.
6. Boiled Potatoes
White potatoes seem to have fallen out of favour for some reason.
However... they have several properties that make them a perfect food, both for weight loss and optimal health.
They contain an incredibly diverse range of nutrients, a little bit of almost everything we need.
There have even been
accounts of people living on nothing but potatoes alone for extended periods of time.
They are particularly high in potassium, a nutrient that most
people don't get enough of and plays an important role in blood pressure
control.
On a scale called the
Satiety Index, that measures how fulfilling different foods are, white, boiled potatoes scored the
highest of all the foods tested (
21).
What this means is that by eating white, boiled potatoes, you will naturally feel full and eat less of other foods instead.
If you boil the potatoes, then allow them to cool for a while, then they will form large amounts of
resistant starch, a fiber-like substance that has been shown to have all sorts of health benefits... including weight loss (
22).
Sweet potatoes, turnips and other root vegetables are also excellent.
7. Tuna
Tuna is another low-calorie, high protein food.
It is lean fish... so there isn't much fat in it.
Tuna is popular among bodybuilders and fitness models who are on a
cut, because it's a great way to keep protein high, with total calories
and fat low.
If you're trying to emphasize protein intake, then make sure to choose tuna canned in water, but not oil.
8. Beans and Legumes
Some
beans and
legumes can be beneficial for weight loss.
This includes lentils, black beans, kidney beans and some others.
These foods tend to be high in protein and fiber, which are two nutrients that have been shown to lead to satiety.
They also tend to contain some resistant starch.
The main problem is that a lot of people have problem tolerating legumes. For this reason, it is important to
prepare them properly.
9. Soups
As mentioned above, meals and diets with a low energy density tend to make people eat fewer calories.
Most foods with a low energy density are those that contain lots of water, such as vegetables and fruits.
But you can also just
add water to your food... by making a soup.
Some studies have shown that eating the exact same food, except
made in a soup instead of as solid food, makes people feel more satiated
and eat significantly fewer calories (
23,
24).
10. Cottage Cheese
Dairy products tend to be high in protein.
One of the best ones is cottage cheese... calorie for calorie, it is mostly just protein with very little carbohydrate and fat.
Eating plenty of cottage cheese is a great way to boost your
protein intake. It is also very satiating, making you feel full with a
relatively low amount of calories.
Dairy products are also
high in calcium, which has been shown to aid in the fat burning process (
25).
11. Avocados
Avocados are a unique type of fruit.
Whereas most fruit is high in carbs, avocados are loaded with healthy fats.
They are particularly high in monounsaturated oleic acid, the same type of fat found in
olive oil.
Despite being mostly fat, they also contain a lot of water, so they aren't as energy dense as you may think.
Avocados are perfect as additions to salad, because studies show
that the fats in them can increase the nutrient uptake from the
vegetables 2.6 to 15-fold (
25).
They also contain many important nutrients, including fiber and potassium.