Experts Say This Is the Number 1 Way to Lose Weight

You've tried everything, but this year is going to be different. This is the year that you're finally getting down to business and losing the weight you've gained, whether it was from too many slices of pizza and beer in college, stubborn pregnancy weight, or that "food baby" you've been growing with pints of ice cream. You've had enough, and although you know there's no easy fix, we asked certified dietitian Leslie Langevin, MS, RD, CD of Whole Health Nutrition to share the one simple thing you need to do to jump-start your weight loss and start seeing results.

We might as well have asked our mothers, because her advice is the same: to "eat more vegetables." There are so many reasons to eat them — they're low in calories and many are also low in carbs. The high-water content and all the chewing it takes to break vegetables down in your mouth can help you feel full faster, so you eat less food overall. Plus the high amount of fibre in vegetables will keep you feeling full for longer to prevent snacking later.

Eating more veg is a growing trend, and it seems that in 2016, plants will be the new meat, moving vegetables from the side of the plate to the centre. The easiest way to eat more vegetables is to include them in every meal and snack — even breakfast. Not sure how to snack on veg aside from hitting the salad bar or ordering a side of sweet potato fries? Check out the ideas below to get you onboard the all-day veg train.

Breakfast

• Strawberry Broccoli Bean Smoothie: 343 calories, 8.1 grams fibre, 30.4 grams protein
• Poached Eggs With Tomato, Swiss Chard, and Chickpeas: 339 calories, 9.5 grams fibre, 20.1 grams protein
• Tofu Scramble With Kale and Sweet Potatoes: 264 calories, 4.4 grams fibre, 18.8 grams protein

Morning Snack

• Banana Spinach Smoothie Muffins: 155 calories, 1.3 grams fibre, 2.2 grams protein
• Carrot Crisps: 79 calories, 4.1 grams fibre, 1.4 grams protein
• Honey-Roasted Cinnamon Chickpeas: 146 calories, 4.5 grams fibre, 6.2 grams protein

Lunch

• Roasted Sweet Potato Mason Jar Salad: 484 calories, 12.6 grams fibre, 15.8 grams protein
• Butternut Squash Lentil Soup: 253 calories, 17 grams fibre, 18.3 grams protein
• Smashed Chickpea Avocado Salad: 485 calories, 13.8 grams fibre, 14 grams protein

Afternoon Snack

• Baked Spinach Chips: 75 calories, 1.4 grams fibre, 1.8 grams protein
• Squash Fries: 97 calories, 1.3 grams fibre, 4.3 grams protein
• Cucumber Cups With Tapenade: 88 calories, 2.6 grams fibre, 1.6 grams protein

Dinner

• Carrot Fettuccine With Mushrooms and Red Pepper: 478 calories, 13.8 grams fibre, 8 grams protein
• Spaghetti Squash Mac and Cheese: 296 calories, 1.3 grams fibre, 18.2 grams protein
• Chickpea Coconut Curry With Sweet Potatoes: 397 calories, 7.2 grams fibre, 10.5 grams protein