One of the biggest parts of losing weight is changing how you eat. Some people may cut out junk food and soda while others might decide to go on a diet. Either way, you’re trying to find the foods that will best help you lose weight. Losing weight is hard enough as it is, but knowing what foods are good for you is half the struggle. You can go in your pantry and stand there just staring at all the food that may mean the difference between gaining and losing weight. Thankfully, this is one struggle that has become easier. Here are 10 foods that you can eat and are weight loss-friendly.

Lean beef and chicken: Some people are put off by meat because of all the ideas that meat has been connected to bad health. The truth is that unprocessed meats can actually be good for you and red meat has no connection to heart disease or diabetes. It’s high in protein, making it an ideal food for weight loss. You can even lose up to 100 calories per day with a high-protein diet! With more protein in your diet you can also cut your cravings by 60 percent and forget worrying about those late-night snack attacks.

Chia seeds: These little seeds are some of the most nutrient-packed foods that you may ever find! One serving is filled with 12 grams of carbohydrates but 11 of those grams are fiber. All this fiber allows the chia seed to absorb up to 11 to 12 times its weight in water. So, the seeds will expand in your stomach, making you feel full and reducing your appetite.

Fruits and vegetables: Don’t forget your fruits and veggies! No matter what, adding more of these to your diet and cutting out junk food will definitely help you start losing that weight. When looking for ideal vegetables, try to eat leafy greens like kale, spinach, collards and swiss chard. They’re low in calories, carbs and packed with nutrients and fiber to fill you up. You should also look for broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and brussels sprouts because they have tons of protein, fiber and cancer-fighting substances in them. When it comes to eating healthy, fruits are easier to eat more of because of all that natural sugary goodness. One fruit you should be sure to add to your diet is grapefruit. It doesn’t have many calories and it can help you feel fuller for longer.

Salmon: This fish can keep you full for hours without that gnawing hungry feeling later on. Plus, it has tons of nutrients and fewer calories than other fish, so you don’t have to worry about jumping on the scale afterwards. Salmon contains good levels of iodine, which is necessary for the proper function of your thyroid, as well as your metabolism. It also has lots of Omega-3 fatty acids, which helps to reduce inflammation and obesity and plays a role in helping with metabolic disease. You can also try other oily fish like trout, mackerel, sardines and herring to get all the same great nutrients.

Beans and legumes: When you’re trying to lose weight, your go-to foods should be the ones that provide you with nutrients and fill you up too. That’s what beans like lentils, black beans and kidney beans can do for you. They’re high in protein and fiber, which give you that nice full filling after finishing a meal.

Avocados: These healthy little green superfoods can help you lose weight too! Add one to your salad next time and it can make your nutrient intake increase immensely.

Soups: Scientists have studied the difference between eating foods in soup and just eating those same foods without the soup. They proved that eating foods in soup makes people feel more satiated, allowing them to eat less calories. A little hint? It’s because of the water in the soup. Foods that have a low-energy density usually have a lot of water in them (like fruits and vegetables). So by adding water to your meal, like in soup, you bring on the same effects of low-energy density foods.

Cottage cheese: This food may not always look appealing, but all the dairy in it makes for a great source of protein. There is really just a lot of a protein in cottage cheese with little carbs or fat. It’s also filled with calcium, which aids in the burning of fat. Add just a cup of cottage cheese to your next meal and see how it can benefit your body!

Whole grains: With gluten-free diets becoming popular, the idea that grains are bad for you has also gotten popular. The truth is that not all grains are bad for you; whole grains like oats, quinoa and rice are not only beneficial to your body, but they can also help your metabolic health. They also have the extra ability to absorb liquid in your stomach and give you that full feeling so you’ll eat less calories.

Full-Fat Yogurt: A strange choice for a weight-loss food, right? What most companies won’t tell you is that in order to make a fat-free yogurt, they take out all the flavor as well. They need to then replace that fat with something that will give it the same sweet flavor. Have you caught on yet? Yes, they replace it with sugary substances that is far from healthy. Low-fat yogurts have even been associated with obesity and type-2 diabetes! Next time, just buy the full-fat yogurt and enjoy all the yummy natural fats.

Source: Authority Nutrition