Special Diets Weight Loss The #1 Food to Help You Lose Weight, According to a Dietitian Fiber is the best food to eat for weight loss. These helpful tips and tasty recipes will help you get more of it into your diet. By Victoria Seaver, M.S., RD Victoria Seaver, M.S., RD Victoria Seaver is a registered dietitian and Editorial Director for EatingWell.com. She completed her undergraduate degree in nutrition, dietetics and food science and her masters degree and dietetic internship at the University of Vermont. Victoria has been a part of the EatingWell.com team since 2015. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Updated on May 31, 2023 Reviewed by Dietitian Lisa Valente, M.S., RD Reviewed by Dietitian Lisa Valente, M.S., RD Lisa Valente is a registered dietitian and former senior digital nutrition editor for EatingWell. She studied at the University of Vermont, where she completed her undergraduate studies in nutrition, food science and dietetics, and attended the dietetic internship program at Massachusetts General Hospital to become a registered dietitian. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines In This Article View All In This Article Why Is Fiber the Best Food to Eat When Trying to Lose Weight? How Much Fiber Do You Need to Eat to Lose Weight? Easy Ways to Eat More Fiber As a dietitian, I see plenty of expensive products in the marketplace that claim they're the answer for weight loss, whether it's a flat-belly tea, detox supplement or some rare fruit that apparently spews magic. But in reality, it's not special superfoods or supplements that will lead to weight loss—it's eating more fiber that can help. Fiber is the indigestible component of plant-based foods, like fruits and veggies, legumes, whole grains and certain seeds, like chia seeds, and is the No. 1 food you should be eating more of if you're trying to lose weight. Even if you aren't trying to lose weight, you likely should eat more for better health, regardless. Here's how it works, plus what you can do to reap the weight-loss benefits of eating more fiber. 12 Foods with More Fiber Than an Apple Why Is Fiber the Best Food to Eat When Trying to Lose Weight? Our bodies can't fully digest fiber, so it adds filling volume to our meals for very few calories. Fiber also slows down the rate of digestion, which is why we feel satisfied for longer after a high-fiber meal and less inclined to reach for a snack soon after. And last but not least, some research has shown that fiber can actually bind some calories and prevent them from being absorbed, which is another built-in weight-loss benefit. Basically, by filling up on fiber-rich foods, you'll naturally feel more satisfied after meals and as a result consume less and absorb fewer calories overall. Pictured Recipe: Strawberry Basil Quinoa Salad Instead of tedious calorie counting or following some restrictive fad diet that cuts out tons of otherwise-healthy foods, you can simply add more fiber to your day and get the weight-loss benefits (along with all the other amazing benefits of eating more fiber), without feeling deprived. Research shows that this strategy is an effective way to lose weight and sustain that weight loss in the long run. Healthy weight loss is no more than 1 to 2 pounds per week. Take it from me—after adding more high-fiber whole grains to my diet (in the form of meal-prep lunches, like this one), I was able to lose 15 pounds to get back to a healthy weight for my body and have sustained this healthy weight for the past two years. How Eating More Carbs Helped Me Lose Weight How Much Fiber Do You Need to Eat to Lose Weight? According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, women should aim for at least 25 grams of fiber each day, while men should shoot for 31 grams. This is a healthy amount to aim for, but an even better measure is to pay attention to your individual hunger and fullness cues. If you find yourself hungry an hour after a meal, think back on how you could pump it up with more fiber next time. Could you have switched from white bread to whole-wheat? Chosen fruit as a side? Topped your salad with beans and nuts instead of chicken? Protein and fat also play a role in fullness, so it's also important to add a serving of each to your meals along with plenty of fiber. See More: High-Fiber Recipes Easy Ways to Eat More Fiber Pictured Recipe: Muesli with Raspberries If your diet doesn't currently include lots of fiber-rich foods, like fruits and veggies, whole grains, beans, lentils and seeds, you'll want to start slowly and be sure to drink more water to prevent cramping or constipation. Add some berries to your morning bowl of cereal, swap out white bread for whole-wheat bread when you make sandwiches, add a whole grain (like brown rice or whole-wheat pasta) to your lunch or dinner, or meal-prep some high-fiber snacks (like these Baked Banana-Nut Oatmeal Cups) to make it easy to eat more fiber. As you get used to one new high-fiber habit, add more in till you get up to that 25- to 31-gram range per day. Here are some satisfying high-fiber recipes to get you started: Black Bean-Cauliflower "Rice" Bowl Really Green Smoothie Sweet Potato-Black Bean Burgers Spinach Salad with Roasted Sweet Potatoes, White Beans & Basil Vegan Pineapple & Coconut Baked Oatmeal Cheesy Black Bean & Corn-Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms Brussels Sprouts Salad with Crunchy Chickpeas Our high-fiber meal plans show you how to piece together a full day (or week!) of healthy high-fiber meals and snacks: 7-Day High-Fiber Meal Plan How to Meal-Prep a Week of High-Fiber Lunches from Trader Joe's Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit