Every bite that you take, adds to those extra calories in your body that cause weight gain. Some of these diets turn out to be 'nightmare' for many, as they are not as 'delicious' as most junk foods. A good weight loss diet mainly focuses on including healthy food items in the diet and not necessarily limiting the quantity of intake. Losing weight does not mean adopting a 'crash diet' or going for intense exercises; a weight loss plan should be beneficial and not draining. Most diets fail because they have short-term goals, and are more inclined towards starvation. The aim of the diet should be to provide enough energy and less amount of calories. Breakfast The breakfast is regarded as the most important meal of the day. A wholesome and healthy breakfast provides a 'kick start' to your day, and keeps you active throughout the day. Breakfast Cereals Low-calorie cereals with less sugar/salt, and cereals that are rich in fiber are good breakfast meals. These can be taken with semi-skim or skim milk. To avoid the use of sugar in the dish, you can add some fresh slices of banana, raisins, or dried apricots as natural sweeteners. Diet Shake A smoothie is considered to be a tasty and nutritious drink, which consists of pureed fruits with milk/yogurt. You can prepare smoothies from different fruits. Examples of some other healthy fruit smoothies are blueberry plus smoothie, pomegranate smoothie with cranberry, bananalicious smoothie, the carb-o-nator smoothie, etc. Fruit Salad No breakfast provides you with a better treat than a fresh fruit salad. It keeps your stomach full, and keeps you active until lunch. It's also a rich source of vitamins and minerals. Prepare the salad with your favorite fruits, and add some yogurt for taste. Some fruits which are associated with effective weight loss programs are grapefruit, melons (watermelon, cantaloupe, and honeydew), guava, peach, berries (strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries), and papaya. It is advisable to avoid canned fruits, as they are packed in heavy syrup and contribute to weight gain. Lunch Lunch is considered a big meal for the day, as it keeps you going for the rest of the day. However, it should not be heavy. Heavy lunch is the primary reason for weight gain in most people. Here are some options for you. Beef Salad You can prepare this salad by combining a few beef slices and grape tomatoes. Beef is a good source of protein, iron, and other nutrients. Including salads will surely help you cut back on calories. Cajun Chicken Wrap A cajun chicken wrap is also a great serving for lunch. It is prepared with chicken breast, that is low in fat and high in protein. It will give you a feeling of fullness and help you stay away from any junk food. This low fat meal uses brown bread instead of white bread, which also facilitates weight loss. Other low fat recipes for lunch are chicken with baby spinach, chicken and sweet potato salad, chipolatas with yogurt and cucumber sauce, Mexican raw burritos, Greek tofu salad, sprouted wheat tortillas, etc. Instead of salad dressing, opt for a tossed salad with croutons. Dinner Dinner must be high in carbohydrates and low in fat. Carbohydrates aid in better sleep. You can prepare some healthy dinner recipes from the following tips. Low Fat Beef Chow Mein This dish is prepared from cabbage and beef. It is high in vitamins and essential nutrients, which will keep you full for a long time. You can also include vegetables that have plenty of vitamin K and vitamin C, as these are good sources of fiber. Cottage Cheese Vegetable Lasagna A vegetable diet is also considered good for losing weight. This dinner recipe contains a combination of different nutritious food items like pumpkin, tomato pasta sauce, spinach leaves, crushed garlic, and cottage cheese, which are low in fat and high in protein. Some simple examples of low calorie dinners are butternut pumpkin soup, Caesar salad, fettuccine bolognese, Idaho supreme potato pasta, spaghetti squash and papadini, hi-protein pure-lentil bean pasta, etc. An effective weight loss diet must help in making a person healthy and not starve him. It is always better to have small meals around five to six times a day, rather than three heavy meals. People tend to overeat when they are starved for a long time, and this is one of the most common causes of weight gain. When a balanced and healthy diet is used in combination with regular exercises, it works wonders in shedding those 'extra kilos'.