3. Oats
There may be nothing more comforting on a cold morning than a steaming bowl of oatmeal topped with fruit. The morning fave is also great for weight loss. The fiber and protein content of oats can keep you feeling full. Just ½ cup of uncooked oats has at least 4 grams of fiber and only 150 calories — and it expands when cooked to yield 1 cup. Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) suggests that individuals who eat oatmeal actually tend to be healthier in general and have a lower body weight compared with those who don’t eat oatmeal.
Oatmeal has many other health benefits as well: Not only does the soluble fiber in oats help to reduce LDL cholesterol, but the prebiotics in oats feed the good bacteria in your gut, helping it proliferate.
Oats aren’t just for breakfast; they can be ground into oat flour for baking and even transformed into savory oat bowls for lunch or dinnertime. One secret hack nutritionists love: Add a scoop of oats to your smoothie to make it more filling.
4. Kefir
You may have noticed kefir hanging out in the grocery store next to the yogurt, and wondered what it is: Tart and tangy, kefir is a fermented milk drink that has been around for more 2,000 years. Since kefir is fermented, it’s a rich source of probiotics, which help regulate a healthy gut—it also contains other important nutrients such as protein. One cup of kefir has a little more than 100 calories and 10 grams of protein depending on the brand and variety—that’s a lot of nutrition bang for your calorie buck.
Keeping your gut healthy with the probiotics in kefir can also help you lose pounds; recent studies suggest that there may be a relationship between gut health and a person’s ability to lose weight. Kefir provides diverse probiotics (good bacteria) to help balance the microbiome, which in turn yields tremendous digestive benefits.
Kefir can be enjoyed straight from the bottle, added to smoothies and used in overnight oats or chia pudding (choose the plain varieties with no added sugar). It can even serve as the base of your next protein marinade: Not only does kefir’s tangy flavor work well with herbs and spices to impart a fresh flavor, the lactic acid and the live and active probiotic cultures turn tough cuts into tender, juicy masterpieces.