7 Healthy Foods to Eat Every Week for Better Health and Weight Loss
A healthy diet doesn’t require expensive superfoods, complicated meal plans, or eliminating entire food groups.
Some of the healthiest foods are simple foods you can find in almost any grocery store. The key is making them a regular part of your diet.
Research consistently shows that dietary patterns rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, fish, and other minimally processed foods are associated with better long-term health.
These foods can help provide:
- Fiber
- Protein
- Healthy fats
- Vitamins and minerals
- Antioxidants and other beneficial plant compounds
They can also help support weight management, cardiovascular health, blood sugar control, digestive health, and healthy aging.
Here are 7 healthy foods to eat every week, along with some of the research behind why I recommend them.
1. Berries
Blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries pack a tremendous amount of nutrition into relatively few calories.
Berries provide:
- Fiber
- Vitamin C
- Anthocyanins
- Polyphenols
- Other antioxidants and beneficial plant compounds
They can be particularly useful for weight management because they provide sweetness and substantial food volume without a large number of calories.
What Does the Research Show?
A meta-analysis of 22 randomized controlled trials found that berry consumption was associated with improvements in several cardiovascular risk factors, including LDL cholesterol, systolic blood pressure, fasting glucose, and A1C.
Other reviews of randomized trials have found potential benefits of berries and their polyphenols for blood-vessel function and arterial health.
That doesn’t mean blueberries are medicine or that eating berries guarantees protection from heart disease. It does mean there is good reason to make berries a regular part of an overall healthy diet.
Easy Ways to Eat More Berries
- Add blueberries to oatmeal
- Mix berries into Greek yogurt
- Add them to cottage cheese
- Blend frozen berries into a smoothie
- Eat berries with breakfast or as a snack
Raspberries and blackberries are particularly impressive when it comes to fiber. A cup of raspberries provides approximately 8 grams of fiber.
Frozen berries are also a great option and make it easier to keep berries available year-round.
2. Cruciferous Vegetables
Broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and other cruciferous vegetables deserve a regular place on your plate.
They provide:
- Fiber
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin K
- Folate
- Potassium
- Numerous phytochemicals
They’re also low in calorie density, which makes them particularly valuable when you’re trying to lose weight.
What Does the Research Show?
Research examining green leafy and cruciferous vegetables has found that higher consumption is associated with a lower incidence of cardiovascular disease.
These vegetables are also an important part of dietary patterns consistently associated with better long-term health.
There may be another benefit for weight loss: vegetables add substantial volume to meals.
Two cups of broccoli take up a lot more space on your plate—and in your stomach—than a small portion of many calorie-dense foods.
Easy Ways to Eat More
- Roast broccoli or Brussels sprouts
- Add cauliflower to a stir-fry
- Use shredded cabbage in salads
- Add broccoli to pasta dishes
- Keep frozen broccoli available for quick meals
Try making vegetables a significant part of the meal rather than a small garnish on the side.
3. Beans and Lentils
Beans and lentils are unusual because they provide significant amounts of both protein and fiber.
Good choices include:
- Black beans
- Chickpeas
- Kidney beans
- Lentils
- Cannellini beans
- Pinto beans
They also provide potassium, magnesium, folate, iron, and numerous other nutrients.
What Does the Research Show?
A systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis found that higher legume consumption was associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and coronary heart disease.
Randomized controlled trials have also found that eating legumes can improve certain cardiovascular and metabolic risk factors, including LDL cholesterol and fasting glucose.
Their combination of protein and fiber can also help make meals more satisfying.
Easy Ways to Eat More
- Add beans to salads
- Make lentil soup
- Add black beans to tacos
- Use chickpeas in grain bowls
- Add beans to chili
- Use hummus as a snack or sandwich spread
If you don’t currently eat much fiber, increase your intake gradually. Suddenly adding large amounts of beans and other high-fiber foods can cause gas, bloating, and changes in bowel habits.
4. Greek Yogurt
Plain Greek yogurt is one of my favorite convenient protein foods.
Depending on the brand and serving size, Greek yogurt can provide:
- 15–20+ grams of protein
- Calcium
- Vitamin B12
- Phosphorus
- Potassium
- Live and active cultures in many varieties
Protein is particularly important during weight loss because you want to lose body fat while preserving as much muscle as possible.
It also becomes increasingly important to maintain muscle as we age.
What Does the Research Show?
Research on yogurt and fermented dairy products has found generally favorable or neutral associations with cardiovascular health.
Systematic reviews have also found associations between yogurt consumption and better weight maintenance, metabolic health, and lower risk of type 2 diabetes, although much of this evidence is observational and doesn’t prove that yogurt itself causes these benefits.
Greek yogurt also offers a very practical benefit: it’s an easy way to substantially increase the protein content of breakfast or a snack.
5. Fish
Fish is an excellent source of high-quality protein, and fatty fish provide the long-chain omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA.
Some excellent choices include:
- Salmon
- Sardines
- Trout
- Herring
- Mackerel
What Does the Research Show?
Regular fish and seafood consumption is consistently associated with cardiovascular benefits.
The American Heart Association recommends eating two servings of fish per week, particularly fatty fish.
Fatty fish provides EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids, which have been extensively studied for their effects on cardiovascular health.
Fish can provide another benefit when it replaces foods higher in saturated fat, such as certain higher-fat and processed meats.
Simple Meal Ideas
- Grilled salmon with broccoli
- Trout with roasted vegetables
- Salmon over a large salad
- Fish tacos with cabbage
- Salmon with quinoa and vegetables
You don’t need to eat fish every day. Making it part of your diet about twice per week is a reasonable goal for many people.
6. Whole Grains
Carbohydrates don’t need to be eliminated to lose weight.
The type of carbohydrate you choose matters.
Good whole-grain choices include:
- Oatmeal
- Quinoa
- Brown rice
- Cous Cous
Whole grains provide fiber along with vitamins, minerals, and other beneficial compounds.
What Does the Research Show?
The evidence supporting whole grains is particularly impressive.
Large systematic reviews and meta-analyses involving millions of participants have found that greater whole-grain consumption is associated with lower risks of cardiovascular disease and premature death.
One large meta-analysis found that each additional serving of whole grains per day was associated with approximately a 9% lower risk of cardiovascular mortality.
Oats and barley provide another benefit because they’re rich in beta-glucan, a soluble fiber that can help lower LDL cholesterol.
Easy Ways to Eat More
- Have oatmeal with berries
- Add quinoa to salads or as a side with protein
- Pair brown rice with fish and vegetables
- Choose whole-grain bread instead of refined white bread
7. Leafy Green Vegetables
Kale, arugula, romaine lettuce, collard greens, and other leafy vegetables provide a tremendous amount of nutrition for relatively few calories.
Depending on the variety, leafy greens provide:
- Vitamin K
- Folate
- Vitamin C
- Carotenoids
- Potassium
- Magnesium
- Fiber
What Does the Research Show?
A meta-analysis examining green leafy vegetable consumption found that people with higher intakes had approximately a 16% lower incidence of cardiovascular disease.
Another analysis involving 17 studies similarly found that greater leafy-green consumption was associated with a lower incidence of cardiovascular events.
As with most nutrition research, association doesn’t necessarily prove cause and effect. But the findings fit with the broader evidence supporting diets rich in vegetables.
Easy Ways to Eat More Greens
- Build a large salad
- Mix greens into soups
- Use greens as the base of a grain or protein bowl
You don’t need to eat enormous salads every day. Find ways to make leafy vegetables a regular part of meals you already enjoy.
What Could a Healthy Week Look Like?
You don’t need to eat all seven foods every single day.
Instead, look at the overall pattern of your diet.
A healthy week might include:
- Berries: most days
- Cruciferous vegetables: several times per week
- Beans or lentils: several times per week
- Greek or Icelandic yogurt: several times per week
- Fish: about twice per week
- Whole grains: regularly
- Leafy greens: most days of the week
What About Weight Loss?
One important point: a food can be healthy without being a weight-loss food.
Ultimately, weight loss requires consuming an appropriate amount of energy for your individual needs.
However, building your diet around nutrient-dense foods can make that process much easier.
Try to emphasize foods that provide plenty of:
- Protein to support fullness and muscle
- Fiber to help with fullness and digestive health
- Vegetables and fruits for food volume and nutrients
- Minimally processed carbohydrates for fiber and nutrition
- Healthy sources of fat
- Vitamins, minerals, and beneficial plant compounds
You don’t need a perfect diet.
What you need is an eating pattern that provides good nutrition, controls calories, and is realistic enough to maintain.
The Bottom Line
Nutrition research changes and evolves, but one message has remained remarkably consistent: eating more minimally processed, nutrient-dense foods is associated with better health.
A good place to start is by regularly including:
- Berries
- Cruciferous vegetables
- Beans and lentils
- Greek yogurt
- Fish
- Whole grains
- Leafy green vegetables
Rather than searching for one food that will transform your health, focus on the quality of your overall dietary pattern.
If you’re struggling to lose weight or aren’t sure what foods, portions, or calorie level are appropriate for you, individualized nutrition coaching can help.
At Nutrition Coaching Center, I help clients develop personalized nutrition and weight-loss plans based on their health, lifestyle, food preferences, and goals.
Kevin Grodnitzky, MS, RDN, LDN
Registered Dietitian Nutritionist
Nutrition Coaching Center
The Weight Loss Dietitian
Ready to Learn? Schedule here: