Top Slimming Foods

Looking for a miracle diet food? It's time to call off the search — there's no such thing. If you take in more calories than you expend, you gain weight. It's simple biology, and no milkshake or mackerel can save you from that fate.

But before you throw in the towel, there are certain foods that promote satiety (the feeling of fullness that comes after a meal) more than others. While they're not miracle foods, they can help you eat less over the course of the day. When you're looking for foods that are going to keep you fuller for longer, look for ones high in fiber, healthy fats and protein, or with a high water content.

Apples
An apple a day may keep the fat pants away, too. This portable fruit is the perfect snack, with a high water content and both kinds of weight-busting fiber: soluble, which helps prevent blood sugar spikes that lead to cravings, and insoluble, which helps fill you up.

Eggs
They're a great source of protein, which may be key to keeping you full. A recent study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition found that when people ate two eggs for breakfast, they took in more than 400 fewer calories over the next 24 hours than when they ate bagels.

Cauliflower
When you are trying to lose weight, non-starchy vegetables such as cauliflower are one of the few foods that can be eaten in unlimited quantities.
TIP: Love the creamy consistency of mashed potatoes? Steam a head of cauliflower and mash it with garlic salt, a sprinkling of grated Parmesan cheese and a touch of butter.

Low fat Yogurt
Calcium combined with other bioactive compounds found in dairy products slows down the process of making fat and increases fat burning, especially around the belly.

Oatmeal
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day — just eating it can make you slimmer. Also, oatmeal was ranked as the most satiating breakfast food on the satiety index.


Salad
Salads are a great opportunity to add a lot of filling foods into your diet at one time: fresh vegetables, lean protein, beans and healthy fats.

Fish
You might be surprised to learn that fish tops oatmeal and vegetables in the satiety department. The Australian Satiety Index ranks steamed white fish such as halibut or cod as the number-one most filling food out of 38 common foods. Also, a new study from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden found that people ate 11 percent less at dinner after having fish for lunch versus those who ate a beef lunch.

Bulgur
High-fiber grains are a great way to round out a meal, and fine-cut Bulgar is easy to cook.
TIP: Find Bulgar in health-food stores and organic markets. For a quick side dish, combine fine Bulgar with chicken broth, diced canned tomatoes and some cooked onions.