When people think about weight loss, this often conjures up ideas of dieting and restrictive eating. However, according to a nutritionist dietician, dieting is not needed to see results.
Shannon Whittingham, founder of The Nourish Center, shared the best foods to include in your diet if you want to lose weight. She advised stocking up on high-fibre carbohydrates.
Shannon said: "Fibre can be found in practically all wholefood carbohydrates. By wholefood carbohydrates, I mean fruits, nuts, seeds, whole grains, legumes - everything I just mentioned has fibre in it.
"You want to ensure that you are getting enough fibre every day. It plays a huge role in weight management and weight loss because it helps us to feel full."
Whole grain foods like quinoa are high-fibre carbohydrates
GETTY IMAGES
The expert explained that the general recommendation is between around 25g-30g of fibre per day.
To ensure you're eating enough high-fibre carbohydrates, Shannon advised making a note of the ones you enjoy - then start eating more of them.
There are plenty of ways to incorporate fibre into your diet. The NHS advised: "It's important to get fibre from a variety of sources, as eating too much of one type of food may not provide you with a healthy balanced diet."
Slimmers can consult the NHS website for information on how to incorporate fibre into their diet.
Some suggestions include opting for potatoes with their skins on, such as baked potatoes or boiled new potatoes.
"Add pulses like beans, lentils or chickpeas to stews, curries and salads.
"Include plenty of vegetables with meals, either as a side dish or added to sauces, stews or curries.
"Have some fresh or dried fruit, or fruit canned in natural juice for dessert. Because dried fruit is sticky, it can increase the risk of tooth decay, so it's better if it is only eaten as part of a meal, rather than as a between-meal snack.
"For snacks, try fresh fruit, vegetable sticks, rye crackers, oatcakes and unsalted nuts or seeds."
Another way to lose weight without dieting is by consuming plenty of fruits and vegetables.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
Slimmers should aim for five servings - or five handfuls - of fruits and vegetables per dayGETTY IMAGESThe expert encouraged people to eat five servings - or five handfuls - of fruits and vegetables every day. Shannon added: "Notice I said fruits and vegetables - not just vegetables - as fruits have their own benefits and vegetables have their own benefits."
Five servings is a very doable amount. One day you could enjoy an apple and banana in the morning, then two cups of Romaine lettuce in a salad for lunch, then a cup of broccoli with dinner.
