Foods for weight loss: 9 filling choices that help you eat less

Are there foods that make you lose weight?

No. No food makes you lose weight on its own—not pineapple, artichoke or green tea. Losing fat means eating somewhat less than you expend, moderately and over several months, without crash plans [2].

What does vary from one food to another is how filling it is for each calorie. This is its energy density: the calories in each bite. A plate of lentils with vegetables takes up a lot of space and provides relatively little energy; a croissant takes up little space and provides a lot.

With low-energy-density foods, you can eat a normal-sized plate and reduce your daily calorie intake without feeling hungry [3].

In a trial involving inpatients who could eat as much as they wanted, the ultra-processed diet was associated with about 500 kcal more per day than the unprocessed diet [4]. In that study, participants ate faster; the result does not mean that all these products have the same effect.

No food makes you lose weight. What helps is a plate that fills you up with fewer calories.

9 foods that help you eat less without going hungry

1. Legumes

Lentils, chickpeas, beans and peas provide protein and fibre at the same time, and with vegetables they make a filling, complete meal. They are also inexpensive, keep for months and can be prepared in many ways.

Cook them with vegetables instead of chorizo, add them to a salad or make hummus to spread. If they give you gas, start with small portions and try red lentils or mashed chickpeas. You can find more ideas in the guide to legumes: benefits, portions and how to digest them more easily.

2. Vegetables

They usually add plenty of volume and fibre to a meal. AESAN recommends at least three daily servings of vegetables and two or three of fruit [1].

Starting with a salad, soup or vegetable dish may help you feel full, although it does not necessarily reduce how much you eat afterwards [3]. Try different cooking methods and spices to find preparations you enjoy.

3. Whole fruit

You can eat fruit at any time, including at night, and bananas are another option. In observational studies, eating more fruit and vegetables has been associated with less weight gain over the years [5]; this does not mean they cause weight loss on their own.

A serving of fruit is about 150 to 200 g: one apple, one banana, two kiwis, two mandarins or three plums . Whole fruit is better than juice. You have to chew it, it retains its fibre and it is more filling.

4. Fish and lean meat

Protein may help you feel full and, together with strength training, help preserve muscle during weight loss [6]. You can spread protein foods across your meals according to your needs and preferences.

Alternate white and oily fish, seafood and lean meats such as chicken, turkey or rabbit. AESAN recommends at least three servings of fish a week, prioritising oily fish. You can grill it, bake it or cook it en papillote.

5. Eggs

They are high-quality protein, inexpensive and ready in five minutes. An egg at breakfast or a French-style omelette at dinner provides the protein for your meal when you do not have time to cook.

6. Plain yoghurt and milk

Fear of getting hungry between meals is one of the most common concerns. Plain yoghurt with no added sugar is a filling snack that helps you make it to your next meal without grazing. If you are hungrier, add chopped fruit or a few nuts.

A glass of hot semi-skimmed milk with cinnamon in the afternoon can also make a good snack . If you drink a plant-based beverage, choose one with no added sugar and at least 3% protein , as stated on the label.

7. Oats and whole grains

Carbohydrates do not need to be removed to lose weight. Every main meal includes a source of carbohydrates, and whole-grain options provide more fibre. Eating more fibre and whole grains is associated with a slightly lower body weight [7].

A rough serving guide for pasta, rice, quinoa or couscous is 40 g uncooked when served with a protein, and 70 g when the dish does not include one .

Potatoes and sweet potatoes are also sources of carbohydrates. Oats can be used for breakfast and also to thicken soups or prepare doughs. Find more ideas in high-fibre foods.

8. Nuts in an appropriate portion

They contain a lot of calories in a small volume, and yet trials do not find that eating them leads to weight gain [8]. They provide mostly unsaturated fats and go well with a piece of fruit as a snack.

The trick is the portion. Choose them raw or roasted, not fried and with no added salt, and serve them before sitting down to eat rather than eating straight from the packet.

9. Water, broths and vegetable soups

Water quenches thirst without adding anything and takes the place of soft drinks or juice. Reducing free sugars helps prevent unhealthy weight gain [9], and soft drinks and juices make it very easy to consume them without noticing.

Keep water within reach and drink according to your thirst and circumstances. Broths and vegetable soups also provide fluid.

How to put them together in a day

These nine foods work together, not one at a time. The simplest approach is the plate method, based on the Harvard plate [10]. We suggest it this way: half the plate vegetables; one quarter protein; and the other quarter carbohydrates, preferably wholegrain. For dessert, have fruit or yoghurt.

Olive oil counts too: if you prepare a second course with salad, one dessert spoon per serving is a rough guide.

Here is an example of a day that works:

• Breakfast: plain yoghurt with oats and chopped fruit, or wholemeal toast with tomato and scrambled egg.
• Lunch: courgette soup and oven-baked hake with potato.
• Snack: a piece of fruit with two or three walnuts.
• Dinner: mixed salad and a French-style omelette with wholemeal bread.

If you want a whole week planned out, see the 7-day weight-loss meal plan with a shopping list. And in how to reduce calories without going hungry, you can learn how to make the dishes you already cook lighter.

What mistakes do we see in consultations?

They happen so often that we can almost guess them before the person sits down:

• Cutting out fruit at night or bananas. No fruit causes weight gain; what gets cut out often comes back as snacking.
• Having dinner without carbohydrates. You wake up hungry the next day and breakfast gets out of hand.
• Eating handfuls of nuts because they are healthy. They are, which is why they have a serving size.
• Trusting “0%” or “light” labels. Many such yoghurts and desserts contain sugar; check the ingredient list.
• Relying on a single food. Pineapple, artichoke, cucumber or green smoothies do not change your weight on their own. Never base your diet on just one or a few foods.

If you eat this way and the scales do not budge

It happens more often than you might think. If you monitor your weight, weigh yourself no more than once a week. Measuring your waist and hips or using a belt you regularly wear may give you a better guide than the scales. Portions, unrecorded snacking, sleep, stress, the menstrual cycle or some medicines can make it harder. Very restrictive diets are difficult to maintain and make weight regain more likely [2]. And following one restrictive diet after another can make your body use somewhat less energy .

Losing weight on your own is difficult, and it is not a lack of willpower. In the guide why am I not losing weight? we review the most common causes, and in the weight-loss diet guide you will find the complete plan, including the rate of weight loss we recommend.