How to Lose Weight With Tuna & Sweet Corn

According to the National Institutes of Health, the only reliable, safe and healthy way to lose weight and keep that weight off over time is to couple regular physical activity with a balanced, low-calorie eating plan. The most nutritious foods with the lowest calorie counts and highest vitamin and mineral contents are whole, natural foods such as tuna fish and sweet corn. Although those specific items are no better at stimulating weight loss than any other whole foods, they can work within the context of a broader food plan to help you drop pounds.

A nutritious salad with canned tuna and sweet corn. (Image: Glauco_Scapin/iStock/Getty Images)

Step 1

Keep each food simple instead of dressing it up with sauces, accompaniments or other add-ons. According to the USDA, an entire can of water-packed tuna has just 220 calories and 5 g fat but more than 40 g lean protein. A cup of sweet corn is similar, offering 125 calories, 5 g protein, 2 g fat, 3 g fiber, 9 g natural sugar and 27 g carbohydrates with doses of calcium, potassium, vitamin C, folate and other essential nutrients. Adding butter, oil, mayonnaise and other calorie-rich spreads decreases the nutritional value of the foods and bumps up calorie and fat totals.

Step 2

Choose canned tuna for the best economic value without sacrificing nutrition or risking your health. Jill Weisenberger, registered dietitian for “Cooking Light” magazine, notes that mercury levels present in canned tuna are not linked to any adverse health effects in credible scientific studies and that eating tuna and other fish can have huge advantages, such as guarding against stroke and heart disease.

Step 3

Add plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits to the tuna and sweet corn that you eat regularly. The MyPyramid eating plan from the USDA states that in addition to helping reduce the risk of overweight and obesity, fresh fruits and vegetables cut risks of stroke, heart disease, bone loss, kidney stones, diabetes and cancer. Additionally, many fruits and vegetables are high in dietary fiber, which has a satiating effect and can help curb cravings for foods that are higher in fat, calories, sodium and sugar. The Mayo Clinic suggests enhancing tuna wraps and tuna salad sandwiches with a variety of veggies including broccoli, carrots, lettuce, tomato and bell peppers.

Step 4

Round out your diet with nonfat dairy products, whole grains and other lean proteins. Neither tuna nor sweet corn are cure-all solutions for weight loss, and though they both add valuable nutrients to any daily diet, eating too many of any type of food can result in nutrient deficiencies and other negative health effects, so make sure to emphasize variety in all of your meals and snacks.