Fruit smoothies and fresh-juice drinks provide some of the most nutritious options for dieters. A substantial smoothie is an easy way to have a fast meal loaded with vitamins and fiber.

The HCG Diet and vitamin B12 shots have been heavily marketed in recent years as an effective way to lose weight. Conflicting information can make choosing a healthy diet a daunting task.

If your family's decedents hailed from Asia, you were most likely served a form of rice water, called hsi-fan or congee, for breakfast or as a healing tonic to revive your energy.

It may come as a surprise that watermelon -- a juicy summer fruit and backyard barbecue favorite -- is actually good for you. It is sweet but doesn't pack a lot of calories per serving, and its high water content makes it filling and refreshing, but without any fat or cholesterol.

The green bean is a versatile vegetable that is both low in fat and high in dietary fiber. If you're trying to lose weight, adding green beans to your diet may provide essential nutrients without adding excess calories.

Reducing calories is necessary to lose weight, but eating too few may actually push you further from your weight-loss goals. Severe calorie restriction can cause rapid weight loss at first, but weight gain in the long run.

Although fruits tend to be low in calories and beneficial for weight loss, not all fruits have the same nutritional values. For example, durian fruit, known in some areas as the king of fruits, is high in fat and calorie-dense, so it can be a poor choice for weight loss.

Skipping meals, especially before a workout, can thwart your goals to slim down. A pre-workout breakfast gives you the energy to go harder and burn more calories during exercise.

When it comes to weight-loss foods, spinach is a real nutritional powerhouse. A single cup of spinach contains just 7 calories and only 1 gram of carbohydrate, plus it provides you with iron, folate, magnesium, calcium and plenty of antioxidants.