10 Best Foods to Eat During Weight Loss

Make your weight loss experience smoother by adding these 10 helpful foods to your plate — powerful protein sources, boosted with vitamins and minerals to keep you healthy and balanced for optimal calorie intake and weight loss.

1. Fish: With a little seasoning or lemon juice, a 4- to 6-ounce cut of trout or salmon will leave you feeling full while providing a healthy serving of omega-3, which helps move fat out of storage and into the fuel system. (via LiveStrong)

2. Eggs: Protein-packed and powerful, eggs give your body energy and offer both zinc and iron for a healthy heart, ultimately increasing your body's physiological processes. Click here for creative breakfast recipes with eggs.

3. Turkey: Helps you to keep muscle mass while you burn fat because of a little amino acid called leucine. You'll feel fuller longer and be less likely to overeat.

4. Apples: This go-to fruit is not only easy to eat, but totally satisfying thanks to a helpful fiber called pectin. The peels offer antioxidants, too, which have been linked to reducing the spread of cancer (double score).

5. Soup: Homemade soups are ideal because of the fresh veggies, low-sodium broth and stripped-down protein sources. The ingredients provide vitamins, minerals and fiber, and move through your system without lingering.

Read more: Recipe: Weight Loss Soup

6. Lentils: These ancient legumes have superhero protein that satisfies your hunger. Add them to a slow cooker meal or a bowl of steamed veggies — a little bit goes a long way.

7. Oats: Steel-cut oats, the kind you boil on a stovetop, are the best option because they're not over-processed. They help keep your blood sugar level under control while reducing bad cholesterol. (via Prevention) Try our overnight oats recipe!

8. Avocados: A brilliant choice for healthy fats, avocados give your body the fuel boost it craves since you're probably cutting out most non-veggie carbs. These green weight-loss allies are rich in potassium, too, which helps reduce bloating.

9. Bananas: Just like avocados, bananas are packed with potassium. Easy to eat and beneficial to heart health, bananas contain zero saturated fat. The riper they are, the more sugar they contain, so be selective. Click here to see more fruits low in sugar.

10. Grapefruit: If you can adjust your taste buds to this perky citrus, add it to your breakfast. Low in calories and high in fiber, grapefruits can set your metabolism rate for the day. They also contain disease-preventing properties to boost your immune system so you don't miss a beat.

INFOGRAPHIC: How To Lose 1-2 Pounds a Week