The more of them you eat, the better your body will be able to increase lean muscle mass and avoid storing fat.

Beans
They're low in fat, and packed with protein, fibre, and iron - nutrients crucial for building muscle and losing weight

Frozen berries, grapes or bananas
Frozen fruits are refreshing, satisfying, nutritious - and taste "smooth" like many fat-filled desserts.

Apples
Along with strawberries, oranges, peaches and grapefruit, apples contain pectin - a form of fibre that can make you feel fuller for hours.

Oats
These contain soluble fibre, which stays in your stomach longer than insoluble fibre. It also works like a bouncer for your stomach, showing troublemakers the door. For example, soluble fibre helps remove LDL (bad) cholesterol from your circulatory system.

Lean meat and fish
The news on protein is that the amino acid leucine, found in meat, poultry, dairy and fish, is essential for developing lean muscle mass and regulating hormones that control your appetite and help you burn kilojoules. Aim for two 55-85g serves a day

Spinach and other green vegies
It's fibre rich, with high water content so it'll fill your stomach. Pack a sandwich with the stuff, or stir-fry it with fresh garlic and olive oil.

Yoghurt
A University of Tennessee, US, study found that people who added three serves of yoghurt a day to their diets lost 61 per cent more body fat and 81 per cent more stomach fat over 12 weeks than people who didn't eat yoghurt.


Olive or flaxseed oil
These cause the stomach to retain food for longer - so drizzle 1tbs on salads to make them more filling. Monounsaturated oils also help keep your cholesterol in check, by helping lower bad (LDL) cholesterol.

Dates or dried mango
These little gems have all the sweetness of lollies, with bonus vitamin C and iron. And because they require more chewing time, you'll eat fewer.

Almonds
Perfect packages of protein, fat, and fibre. When dieters followed a 4190kJ-a-day diet for 24 weeks, those who ate almonds lost 18 per cent of their body weight, compared to 11 per cent lost by people who ate carb-based snacks.

Eggs
Think of them as little protein bombs. Plus, they're a good source of iron, and lecithin, which is critical for brain health (so you can carry on making smart food choices). If you're worried about cholesterol, leave out a yolk or two.

Wholegrain breads and cereals
You crave carbs because your body needs them - the key is to eat ones that have all their belly-melting fibre intact. Want to know if your cereal is wholegrain? Check the packaging: "Wholegrains contain at least 2g of fibre per serve," says nutritionist Joanne Slavin.

Peanut butter
OK, it's not low-kJ, but it's packed with heart-healthy monounsaturated fats that increase your body's production of testosterone, which can help melt fat and build muscle. Three tablespoons a day gives you the benefits, without overloading on the fat.

Low-fat dairy
A University of Tennessee study found that dieters who consumed between 1200 and 1300 milligrams of calcium a day lost nearly twice as much weight as those taking in less calcium.