Nutrition

Before reading this, I'm a certified personal trainer, not a dietician. To seek personal advice on nutrition you should consult with a nutritionalist. What I can do is provide guidelines to point you in the right direction. Look at the table below for recommended daily values for grains, vegetables, fruits, dairy, oils, meat and beans. Keep in mind that these values are recommended for a 2,000 calorie diet. If you eat more than this amount, you will be consuming more of every category essentially. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, as everyone has different caloric expendatures, depending on body size, composition, and activity level.

Macronutrients

Protein
0.8g per kg (2.2 pounds) of bodyweight is recommended for the average individual. Those who are very involved in exercise, particularly resistance training may need slightly more. No more than 1.8g per kg of bodyweight is needed for these athletes. Meat, beans, and fish are all sources high in protein.
Carbohydrates
45%-65% of your daily calories should come from carbohydrates. "Carbs" have taken on a bad reputation, but they are essential. Carbohydrate sources inclue: rice, potatoes, fruits, and bread.
Fats
30% of your daily calories should be from fats. Saturated and trans fats should be kept to a minumum, especially trans fats. Omega 3 and Omega 6 fats are very important for the body and can be found in fish and vegetable oils. The are important for cardiovascular health. It is recommended that you consume fish once or twice a week for this reason.

Weight Loss

When concerned about losing weight, the primary goal is to burn more calories than you consume. That's the bottom line. The healthy way to do this is to restrict calories consumed while getting in essential nutrients and exercise. A pound of fat is 3500 calories, so a common approach would be to create a 500 calorie defecit each day. Cutting back your calories by 250 and exercising to burn 250 calories can accomplish this. A 250 calorie workout might take 15-30 minutes at moderate intensity. This approach should yield a loss of 1 pound per week.