If you’re getting started on a fat loss diet plan, one thing that you must be doing is paying attention to each and every piece of food that you put into your mouth.

While it’s critically important that you do make sure that you are taking in the right amount of calories because at the end of the day it is calories in, versus calories out that determines whether you make fat loss progress or not, it’s where these calories come from that determines how you feel as you go about the day.

Take in calories from the wrong food choices and you’ll be left feeling hungry, deprived of energy, and more or less not like your usual self. When you choose your foods very carefully, dieting can actually be a relatively easy process and something that you can succeed with while feeling great.
The problem is that most people don’t recognize which foods are going to be their best bet for optimal fat loss results, so they stick to the same foods that just aren't doing the trick.

Let’s get you started off on the right foot this time around by providing you with the top food choices that you should consider as you go about your diet plan. If you select the following more often, you’ll find success comes much more naturally.

Cottage Cheese

The first of the must-have foods for your diet is cottage cheese. When it comes to dairy products, this one really can’t be beat. First, it’s a form of casein protein, which digests more slowly in the body therefore will help to calm your hunger pains much better than other forms of protein would.

In addition to that, studies have demonstrated that those dieters who do include dairy products on their meal plan more often are going to see accelerated rates of abdominal fat loss , which is something that almost everyone will enjoy.

Most people go the opposite direction and begin cutting dairy out of their plan when what you really should be doing is adding more in.

Choose low fat varieties of cottage cheese to keep your total calorie intake and saturated fat under control.

Salmon

The second great food that you’ll want to strongly consider adding to your diet is salmon. Now, salmon is higher in calories than some white forms of fish such as tilapia or cod, however it contains a healthy form of fat known as omega fats.

Omega fats will help to boost your insulin sensitivity, which means that when you do consume carbs, they’re more likely to end up in your muscle tissues for use as energy later on during your workouts than they are to end up in your body fat stores.

Getting enough omega fats is critical to success and salmon makes it easier. Plus, it’s also a very high protein option as well, and protein is a must for anyone on a fat loss diet.

Oatmeal

Moving along, oatmeal is another great food for those seeking fat loss. Oatmeal is rich in fiber, sugar-free, and a good source of complex carbs. Plus, it’s very high in volume for few calories, so it’ll fill you up quickly and keep you satisfied for hours to come.

This makes it ideal for appetite control and making sure that you can maintain the reduced calorie diet that you need to see fat loss success.

Always remember that carbs don’t need to be cut out of your plan entirely for results to be seen. You simply just need to be smarter about the carbs you’re choosing and have them at appropriate times during the day.

Eat them right before and after the workouts you do as well as first thing in the morning and you’ll be right on track.

Fresh Berries

Fresh berries are yet another food to take in with your diet plan. Fresh berries are excellent for providing you with strong antioxidant benefits, which will help to fend off free radical damage and ensure that you stay as healthy as possible.

In addition to that, fresh berries will also supply a potent dose of fiber, which will help to reduce hunger pains between meals and slow the time it takes for your food to move through the digestive track.

Fresh berries are low in calories at just 50 per cup or so, so there’s no reason not to add them into your diet plan.

Green Vegetables

Another very low calorie food that will take the edge off hunger and make it seem as though you get to eat more food total while on your fat loss diet is green vegetables. Green vegetables such as broccoli, spinach, cabbage, and asparagus are full of vitamins and minerals and will offer so few calories to your daily diet that you really don’t even need to be adding them to your day’s totals.

Simply fill your plate up and enjoy – if you can make at least half your plate full of vegetables with each meal, you’ll naturally consume fewer calories in the process.

Natural Nut Butter

Many people think that they need to be cutting all fats out of their diet and while a reduced fat intake can definitely help you reduce your total calorie consumption, it’s important to remember that the body does require some facts to function properly.

Fats will also help to lengthen the time it takes for your food to pass through your system, so can enhance your satiety in that regard as well.

Since most people naturally have cravings for rich and creamy foods, natural nut butter can help satisfy this craving while you stick to your diet plan.

By choosing the natural varieties you’ll get away from added sugars, making it as healthy as possible.

Egg Whites

Egg whites are the next source of protein that you’ll definitely want to be adding to your diet plan. Egg whites are great because they are carb and fat free and will also provide a higher amount of volume to your diet, making sure that you do feel satisfied on fewer calories.

Most people who eat tiny meals while on their diet do not feel satisfied so egg whites will help change this. If you whip together an omelet of 6 egg whites and a cup of diced vegetables, you’ll have a satisfying breakfast for only about 150 calories.

You can add the odd yolk here and there as there are important nutrients in it as well that can’t go overlooked, but since the yolk does contain more calories and grams of fat, keep them to an occasional basis only.

Cinnamon

Finally, the last item isn’t a food per say but a spice. Cinnamon is a great addition to many of the foods in your diet plan because it will help to control your blood sugar levels. Those who experience blood sugar highs followed by crashes are very likely to find themselves overeating throughout the day and just feeling not good overall.

Cinnamon can help to stabilize your blood sugar levels when eating carbs, so it will make sticking with that diet far more manageable from that perspective.

Plus, the sweet taste it adds will mean you’ll be able to cut back on how much excess sugar you consume as well.So there you have eight great foods for adding to your diet plan. If you can consume these on a near-daily basis, you can feel confident that you’re headed in the right direction to see success.

Author's Bio: 

Shannon Clark holds a Degree in Exercise Science and Sports Performance and is a certified AFLCA personal trainer. She has been working in the health and fitness industry for the last 12 years and writes for www.FitRated.com , Body Building.com, AskMen.com and magazines on the topics of health, fitness, weight loss, and strength training.