10 Foods That Promote Weight Loss

By: Brenna Coleman

Break Studios Contributing Writer

What are 10 foods that promote weight loss? Yes, you can eat and still shed excess pounds. Learn about foods that promote weight loss by speeding up your metabolism, improving blood circulation, eliminating waste or even by making you feel satiated.

  1. Chili peppers for fat burning. Containing the alkaloid compound capsaicn, chili peppers raise body temperature, stimulate digestion and increase the rate of calorie burning. So go ahead, sprinkle a little chili powder on your food.
  2. Try tempeh. Fermented soy bean cakes, mmmmm. Actually, pan-fried with olive oil and soy sauce tempeh is delicious. This healthy weight loss food is a great source of nutrients as well as protein and essential fatty acids. A four ounce serving will satisfy your hunger for only 204 calories. Eat tempeh burgers instead of hamburgers to promote weight loss.
  3. Bananas and dieting. Have you ever heard of the morning banana diet? Popularized in Japan, this fruit is believed to encourage weight loss because of enzymes that speed up digestion. Whether this is true or not, bananas are still a healthy, non-fat, high-fiber snack that dieters should make a habit of eating.
  4. Avocados are filling. Avocados are definitely one of the ten best foods that promote weight loss. Why? They are packed with nutrients, fiber, and fat, the good fats which will lower cholesterol levels and promote the elimination of waste from the body. Try using avocado as a healthy substitute for mayonnaise on sandwiches and in salads.
  5. Eat your greens. Having a green salad every day is a great way to reach and maintain a healthy weight. Get a concentrated dose of vitamins, minerals and fiber for only a handful of calories.
  6. Salmon. Want to lose weight? Eat low-fat sources of protein such as salmon, tuna and chicken breast. Your body needs some fat and plenty of protein so choose the healthy, leaner options.
  7. Whole grains. Eat a variety of whole grains such as whole wheat bread and barley for plenty of dietary fiber. Fiber is necessary to promote the natural elimination of waste. Grains are also good sources of B vitamins, folate, iron and magnesium.
  8. Green tea as a weight loss tea. Phytochemicals in green tea leaves known as EGCG are believed to increase calorie burning. Researchers at the University of Chicago Tang Center for Herbal Medicine found that lab rats lost body fat and had decreased appetites when they were injected with EGCG.
  9. Walnuts. Eating plenty of monounsaturated fatty acids, which are found in walnuts as well as other nuts and nut oils, is part of a healthy weight loss strategy according to MIT.
  10. Cucumbers. With a high fiber and water content cucumbers, as well as watermelon, are great foods to promote weight loss. Snack on these veggies all you want.
Posted on: Oct. 19, 2010