The initial step in losing weight is to learn the importance of healthy eating. What you put inside your body in the first place is easier to manage than getting rid of that sagging belly fat. Here are some foods that help in weight loss and allow you to live a healthier and longer life:

Vegetables

Vegetable salads are every dieter’s BFF. They contain fewer calories than any other food, yet are packed with nutrients. Great ingredients to toss in a salad are celery, cucumber, lettuce, tomatoes, spinach, arugula and shallots. Even with all these vegetables combined, your salad will still contain fewer calories than a cup of ice cream. However, do be careful about the dressing you put on your salad. Instead of ranch or any other heavy, creamy dressing, try a little fresh lemon juice, a bit of low-fat cottage cheese and a dash of salt and pepper to taste.

Apples

It turns out that an apple a day keeps not only the doctor away, but the excess pounds as well. An average apple is among the greatest weight loss foods because it only contains about 50 calories. Apples are great belly-fillers that allow you to have the feeling of fullness minus the calories. Researchers at Pennsylvania State University discovered that people who eat an apple before a meal consume fewer calories than those who do not.

Cracker bread

“Cracker bread” is a flat, thin and crispy bread that is used as an accompaniment to meals in some countries such as Turkey, Iran and India. This kind of bread is also becoming popular in the United Kingdom and the United States. It is a good source of carbohydrates but only contains 17 calories per slice. This is a great, low-calorie food alternative for those people who want to eat some sort of bread with their meal. Since it is made from starch, it can easily give you the feeling of fullness, thus you eat less.

Milk

The body needs calcium for stronger bones and healthier teeth. Because of this, nutritionists recommend drinking at least two glasses of milk every day. However, regular milk contains a high amount of calories, thus it has not been a popular choice for people who want to lose weight. You have three choices, it’s either you drink the low-fat alternative, have skim milk (95 calories/250 ml) or Soya milk ( 90 calories/250 ml) instead. The body gets the same amount of calcium from these types of milk, but with fewer calories compared to the whole milk (175 calories/250 ml).