If you’re trying to lose weight, it may feel like you’re constantly eating the same foods. Preparing foods differently and using new sauces can help minimize the boredom, but the best way to avoid monotony is to introduce new foods into your diet! Here are a few uncommon diet foods that are good for you and taste delicious. They’ll get you out of the boring same ‘ole chicken breast and broccoli rut:

• Pine nuts. These tiny nuts have 10 grams of protein per ½ cup. Sprinkle just ten to twenty nuts on a salad or on sautéed veggies to perk up your meals (Don’t add an entire ½ cup—it will add an extra 454 calories!). Pine nuts are packed with antioxidants and pinolenic acid, which seems to help suppress the appetite. Make sure to buy them in small quantities and store in the fridge because they turn rancid.
• Watercress. According to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, this vegetable has enough antioxidants to make a measurable difference in reducing DNA damage to white blood cells, a precursor to many types of cancer. They are also found to consistently lower elevated blood triglyceride levels and have high levels of vitamins C and A. Watercress is great to add to sandwiches, throw on salads, or garnish meats with.
• Leeks. This vegetable is full of fiber, folic acid, potassium, iron, Vitamin C, and antioxidants. They are a good addition to dishes with onions, or can replace onions all together.
• Buckwheat. Buckwheat is an herb related to rhubarb and sorrel, but it’s often thought of as a grain. It contains essential amino acids, B vitamins, phosphorous, magnesium, chromium, iron, zinc, copper, manganese, and linoleic acid (a fatty acid critical to good health). There are 4.5 grams of fiber per cup, and the herb is high in protein as well, so it will help you stay full longer. Buckwheat is believed to have anti-tumor and tonic effects, and recent studies show that it may have the ability to lower blood glucose, making it beneficial for diabetics. A serving is ½ cup cooked.

Have you ever tried any of these foods? If so, which ones? Does trying new foods help you stay on track when you’re trying to shed a few pounds?