5 Smart Food Choices for Sustainable Weight Loss
Why Losing Weight Often Doesn’t Work (and What Actually Does)
You want to lose a few pounds, but it feels overwhelming. One diet tells you to cut carbs, another says to avoid fats. Maybe you’ve tried it all—shakes, crash diets, calorie counting. At first, the weight comes off, but before long it creeps back on. You’re left frustrated and wondering if lasting weight loss is even possible for you.
Here’s the truth: struggling with diets isn’t your fault. Diets simply don’t work for long-term weight loss. At Plants for Health, we believe in a different approach—no guilt, no strict restrictions. Instead, we focus on smart, science-based food choices that nourish your body and help you lose weight in a way that lasts.
Which Foods Actually Support Weight Loss?
Research shows that certain foods can make weight loss easier, not harder. It’s not about strict rules—it’s about smart choices that fuel your body and keep you satisfied.
1. Eat Three Solid Meals a Day
Snacking may be trendy, but you don’t actually need it. Not long ago, most people ate three meals a day, with maybe a piece of fruit in between. Studies show that frequent snackers often consume more calories overall than those who stick to three meals (1).
If your goal is weight loss, focus on three balanced meals that resemble the Plants for Health Plate:
- ½ vegetables and fruit
- ¼ healthy protein
- ¼ whole grains
- Plus some healthy fats (like nuts and seeds)
This way, you give your body everything it needs—and stay full without constant cravings.
2. Choose Low-Energy-Density Foods
Vegetables, fruits, legumes, and whole grains are naturally low in energy density, meaning they provide fewer calories per serving. That means you can eat a lot without overloading on calories—perfect for weight loss while maximizing intake of beneficial nutrients. To put it in perspective: a cupcake has about 300 calories. To eat the same amount of calories in carrots, you’d have to chew all day long!
In our Plants for Joints study, participants were encouraged to eat as much whole, plant-based food as they wanted. Weight loss wasn’t even the goal, but on average people still lost around 4-5 kg after 4 months (2,3).
3. Load Up on Fiber
Unprocessed plant foods—like vegetables, fruit, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes—are packed with fiber. Fiber slows sugar absorption, keeps you full for longer, and supports your gut health. That’s why a more plant-based diet is such a powerful tool for weight loss. You’ll feel satisfied, and you’ll be less likely to reach for unhealthy snacks.
Want to learn more? Read our blog: What is a Plant-Based Diet?
4. Add Soup to Your Lunch
Studies show that adding soup to a meal helps you eat less overall. On average, people who eat soup consume about 20% fewer calories during that meal—around 134 calories less (4). Soup works because it boosts satiety and slows digestion, keeping you full longer. We love a hearty lentil soup at lunchtime!
5. Include Protein in Every Meal
Protein helps you feel satisfied and protects your muscle mass while losing weight. That’s why it’s important to include a protein source at every meal, as shown in the Plants for Health Plate.
Great options include lentils, tofu, tempeh, edamame, chickpeas, or soy yogurt. Plant-based protein powders made from soy or peas can also be useful: just one scoop (30 g) typically provides 25 g of protein.
What are the benefits?
Imagine no longer obsessing over what you’re “allowed” to eat. Imagine enjoying your meals, feeling satiated without calorie counting, and noticing how much easier healthy choices become when you know you’re fueling your body—not restricting it.
That’s what makes weight loss sustainable—and enjoyable. You reach and maintain a healthy weight in a realistic way, free of guilt and struggle.
At Plants for Health, that’s exactly what we support you with: step by step, with confidence and joy.
Join Plants for Health
Take the first step today. Our Plants for Health lifestyle program helps you build a healthy lifestyle you can actually stick to. No quick fixes—just lasting changes that work. Learn more about Plants for Health here.
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Sources
- 1. Cooke, C. B., Greatwood, H. C., McCullough, D., Kirwan, R., Duckworth, L. C., Sutton, L., & Gately, P. J. (2024). The effect of discretionary snack consumption on overall energy intake, weight status, and diet quality: A systematic review. Obesity reviews : an official journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity, 25(4), e13693.
- Walrabenstein, W., Wagenaar, C. A., van der Leeden, M., Turkstra, F., Twisk, J. W. R., Boers, M., van Middendorp, H., Weijs, P. J. M., & van Schaardenburg, D. (2023). A multidisciplinary lifestyle program for rheumatoid arthritis: the ‘Plants for Joints’ randomized controlled trial. Rheumatology (Oxford, England), 62(8), 2683–2691.
- Walrabenstein W, Wagenaar CA, van de Put M, van der Leeden M, Gerritsen M, Twisk JWR, van der Esch M, van Middendorp H, Weijs PJM, Roorda LD, van Schaardenburg D. A multidisciplinary lifestyle program for metabolic syndrome-associated osteoarthritis: the “Plants for Joints” randomized controlled trial. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2023 Nov;31(11):1491-1500. doi: 10.1016/j.joca.2023.05.014. Epub 2023 Jun 14. PMID: 37328047.
- Flood, J. E., & Rolls, B. J. (2007). Soup preloads in a variety of forms reduce meal energy intake. Appetite, 49(3), 626–634.