Ultimate food combos to help you lose weight

Losing weight can be a long and tiring process without a sound diet strategy. If you are working your butt off and still not seeing results, your diet could be what is holding you back.

Try these food combos to see results faster.

AVOCADO AND LEAFY GREENS

Green veggies in your salad, like spinach and kale, are low in calories and high in nutrients, but they might leave you with cravings not long after.

To make your salad more satisfying, add avocado.

Full of monounsaturated fat, avocado not only keeps you full, but it also increases the absorption of antioxidants in greens, according to the National Health Research Institutes in Taiwan.

CHICKEN AND CAYENNE PEPPER

Chicken breast is a great choice of protein for weight-watchers.

A serving of chicken breast (90g) has 2.3g of fat and 17.2g of protein, a good amount to keep you feeling satiated till your next meal. Season your chicken with cayenne pepper, a metabolism-boosting spice that raises your body temperature, helping you to burn fat faster.

EGG AND BEANS

"Eat breakfast like a king" is wise advice to heed if you want to lose weight.

According to the National Institutes of Health in the US, participants who had eggs for breakfast were more satisfied than those who had bagels.

They ate less for their next meal and after eight weeks, managed to lose more weight than the bagel eaters.

Eggs are high in protein with a significant amount of good fat to keep you full. Beans also have a good amount of protein as well as fibre to add bulk to your meal.

STEAK AND BROCCOLI

There is nothing like steak and broccoli for your pre-workout meal. Beef is rich in iron, a mineral responsible for transporting oxygen to your blood, giving you more energy. Fuelling yourself with red meat gives you better performance at your next workout.

Broccoli is a perfect complement to beef, as it is rich in vitamin C, which helps your body absorb iron better, making this food combo an energy booster that will let you push harder.

APPLE AND PEANUT BUTTER

A deliciously sweet and salty combo, this snack is great at keeping cravings at bay. Apple is high in fibre to satisfy your tummy for longer.

Filled with polyunsaturated fat, peanut butter helps you stay slim by boosting your metabolism. If you are allergic to peanut butter, replace it with any nut butter and you will still get the benefits of good fats.

DARK CHOCOLATE AND ALMOND

Avoiding sweet stuff for good is not a sustainable way to keep the weight off. Treat yourself once in a while and you will not have a sudden urge to indulge.

Dark chocolate is a healthier, less sinful sweet treat that is high in antioxidants to protect you from heart disease. It also has flavanols, which are said to lower blood pressure and improve blood flow.

Despite its many benefits, dark chocolate has a considerable amount of sugar, so limit yourself to two squares a day.

For a more substantial snack, add on a handful of almonds, which are also high in antioxidants to lower the risk of heart disease, making this a heart-healthy food combo.

This article first appeared in Shape (www.shape.com.sg).