When calories are restricted, you want to make damn sure that anything you eat is going to be filling and also have some nutritional value.  If you are trying to get the majority of your calories from processed foods (including processed "health foods") you are going to be hungry all the time, not to mention severely lacking in micro nutrients and minerals.  This is why making proper food choices is so important.  Feeling hungry on a diet is normal, feeling like you might lose your mind if you don't fire a bag of Doritos down hatch is not.  By eating real, whole foods it is infinitely easier to create a sustainable plan. So, what are some easy foods to add into your diet to feel fuller, and give you the will power to walk past McDonalds on your way home from work.

 Broccoli - This should be a staple.  Stir fry it, steam it, eat it raw in salads, whatever you choose, it is super filling and is loaded with fiber and nutrients.  

 Leafy Greens - The calories from leafy greens are almost negligible, but they can still be quite filling.  Try throwing a big pile of greens onto your stir fry for the last thirty seconds.  They will wilt into the mix and add a lot of volume to a meal without adding much in the way of calories. Another good option is a mixed green salad with some tomatoes, onions, and apple cider vinegar, or balsamic vinegar as the sauce.


Fruit - Fruit is a great choice when dieting because it's a delicious way to load up on vitamins.  A few generations back, people knew that eating several servings of fruit everyday is a must. I know a lot if people that might not get two servings of fruit in a week. When focusing on losing fat be careful though.  The carbs found in fruit are different from those found in vegetables, and starchy sources.  Our body can only process a certain amount, and going over that amount will result in fat storage.  So limit yourself to two or three servings of fruit to avoid messing up your fat loss plan.

 Mushrooms - I have fallen in love with mushrooms, and in particular shiitake mushrooms.  These are high volume foods that take on the flavor of what ever they are cooked with, and they have an incredibly low calorie content considering how filling they are.  I throw them into every stir fry I make.
Salsa- I think I could eat industrial sized jugs of salsa and never get sick of it. The beauty of salsa is that it's packed with flavor, but has very few calories. If I don't have time to cook anything special, I'm more than happy to dump salsa on some chicken and chow down.

 What am I missing on this list?  What would be your top 5 add-ins when trying to lose fat?  Leave a comment below and let us in on your advice!