20 Foods that’ll help you lose belly fat

If you are seriously trying to lose belly fat then you already know that diet is one of the most important pieces of the puzzle. With a proper diet plan where you are eating the right foods in the right amounts, you will strip off layer after layer of body fat and you are going to be saying goodbye to that belly fat forever.

However, if you are eating the wrong things you’ll only be setting yourself further and further; with an improper diet plan, you will have to get used to loosening your belt notch after notch because your belly fat will be there to stay. To ensure that you are not making any mistakes with the food that you are selecting we will go over the 20 best foods that you should be eating regularly to lose that belly fat for good.

1. Leafy greens

To have a proper diet plan one of the number one foods that you should be eating is leafy green vegetables. These include kales, Microgreens, Broccoli, spinach, collard greens, cabbage, beet greens, arugula, watercress, romaine lettuce, Swiss chards, Endive, Bok choy, Turnip greens and a couple of more.

Green vegetables, in general, are a great way to decrease hunger and increase fullness. They are also not very calorically dense. Your stomach will be full from the volume as well as the fiber found inside leafy green vegetables for a very small caloric cost. On top of that, they are loaded with beta-carotene as well as plenty of vitamins and minerals.

Studies (1) conducted by scientists showed that there are so many benefits of eating foods rich in leafy greens, some of those benefits are reduced risk of mental decline, high blood pressure, heart disease and obesity.

2. Avocado

Unlike other fruits that are loaded with carbs avocados are full of healthy monounsaturated fats specifically uric acid. There are also full of fiber which will help you feel full for longer. Another great thing about avocados that was discovered during a study from the Ohio State University at Columbus is that avocados help you absorb more carotenoids from fruits and vegetables up to 15 more times . to be exact. So not only will avocados help you burn fat, but you will also be strengthening your immune system and absorbing more cancer-fighting carotenoids than ever.

3. Eggs

Eggs are great to incorporate into your diet plan because they are high in proteins, high in healthy fats, and they can help you feel full for a very low amount of total calories. Eggs are also one of the most bioavailable sources of protein out there; meaning that your body can very easily digest, absorb and assimilate the protein found in eggs. Having a solid protein source like eggs in your diet will help prevent muscle loss while you eat fewer calories to create enough of a deficit to burn fat.

4. Berries

Berries are one of the best foods you can eat while trying to lose belly fat. Compared to most other fruits, berries are very low in carbohydrates while being full of vitamins and antioxidants. These antioxidants can help improve blood flow delivering more oxygen to your muscles and cells in general.

Ultimately, this can help you improve your workouts while assisting with the fat loss process. The best low carb berries to eat are blackberries, raspberries, and strawberries. Blueberries are going to be a little higher in carbs so to keep calories low, stick with the other 3.

5. Apple cider vinegar

It’s not a food but a drink that has been proven very effective at helping you to fight that belly fat. Apple cider vinegar has been shown to help people lose weight and waist circumference.

These aren’t the typical animal studies that you constantly see that don’t necessarily guarantee the same results for human beings. Instead, these are human studies, one of these studies was 12 weeks long and it demonstrated that obese individuals could lose anywhere from 2.6 to 3.7 pounds just by consuming 1-2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar per day.

It has also been shown to improve blood sugar spikes after meals and it can help increase fullness after a meal. In fact, one study shows that taking apple cider vinegar with a high carb meal could result in people eating 200 to 275 fewer calories for the day. Keep in mind that you want to make sure that you dilute only 1-2 of the apple cider vinegar in water. Don’t drink it straight up.

6. Tuna

Tuna is a high-protein food very efficient in getting rid of stubborn belly fat. Tuna is a very lean fish that is pretty much entirely made up of protein. This makes tuna a great option to increase protein intake without increasing calorie intake too much. The important thing is if you are buying can tuna, you want to make sure that you get the tuna in water, not oil. If you get the oil then all the extra calories that you save from the low-fat fish will be canceled out.

7. Salmon

Fish, in general, is a great option for when you are trying to burn fat even a higher fat fish like salmon which is the next food we will go over. Salmon is loaded with high-quality protein, healthy omega 3 fatty acids that will help lower inflammation as well as many other important nutrients. It is also very filling and contains iodine which is an important nutrient for proper thyroid function to ensure that your metabolism is running optimally.

8. Green tea

Green tea is a drink that can help you speed up your fat loss. Now, don’t get me wrong, sitting around drinking tea all day isn’t going to get you to lose your belly fat alone. However, green tea has a compound in it known as ecgc that has shown in studies to help improve fat loss. 3 cups of green tea per day or a supplement with ecgc can help enhance your fat loss when combined with a proper diet and exercise program.

9. Chicken breast

Chicken breast like tuna is a very lean source of protein that leaves you feeling full for a small number of calories. Consuming more protein throughout the day like chicken breasts, tuna, eggs, and salmon have been shown in studies to reduce cravings by 60%. Reducing your cravings is a great way to prevent late-night binge eating and that is a huge portion of the battle for a smaller waistline.

Now that you have some pretty good protein options let us talk about some great carb sources that will help you lose belly fat.

10. Sweet potatoes

Sweet potatoes have relatively low-calorie content and they are slow digesting so they will keep you full for longer. Another reason why sweet potatoes are great at keeping you full is that they have a high amount of dietary fiber which takes up a lot of room in your stomach and prevents overeating.

11. Oatmel

Oatmel is another slow-digesting carbohydrate full of fiber that will leave your stomach feeling full. It also can help improve digestion which may be very useful if you’re eating a high protein diet.

Even though oats are great you have to be careful because not all oats are created equal. Flavoured instant oats are full of added sugar and obviously, that is not going to help you lose very much fat at all. Try instead to get plain oatmeal and flavour it yourself with something like cinnamon.

12. Beans

Beans are another great carb source for losing fat. Beans are one of the highest protein plant-based foods available. So, many people assume that it falls under the category of a protein source.

However, even the highest protein beans like black beans will still contain a lot more carbs than proteins. So, they are still primarily considered a carbohydrate source. Regardless, they are a great carb source because they are filled with fiber and protein.

There are now a lot of bean-based products available that you can incorporate into your diet plan as well. Things like black beans pasta, bean potato chips, as well as black bean burgers are all worth looking into to make your diet more and more enjoyable and versatile.

13. Brown rice

This is my favourite carb to eat to help build muscle as well as burn fat. Just like the sweet potatoes, and the oats, brown rice is slow digesting and full of fiber. It is also full of something known as resistant starch which can help boost metabolism and burn fat. A half-cup serving of brown rice contains 1.7 grams of resistant starch.

14. Chili pepper

Moving away from foods high in carbs; chilli pepper is another great food to incorporate into your diet. Not only can eating chilli peppers temporarily increase your metabolism, it also has great benefits for your appetite. One study shows that eating just 1 gram of red chilli pepper reduced appetite and increased fat burning in people who did not eat chilli peppers regularly.

15. Grapefruit

It’s no secret that grapefruit is recommended in many different fat loss diet plans. But does it really help people lose more weight or is it just another fad dieting strategy? Well, it turns out that there was a 12-week long study done on 90 obese people on which they would eat half a grapefruit before their meals.

This actually did lead to a weight loss of 3.5 pounds and also improved insulin sensitivity. With less insulin resistance, it becomes easier to burn fat faster.

16. Soup

Soup is another great way to reduce belly fat. By having soup before your meals, it will help reduce the total amount of you eat for the day. Of course, it’s very important that you are not just eating any random soup. Some soups are very high in calories and carbs and when you start adding things like croutons to your soup, you are no longer looking at a meal that is going to help you lose belly fat. Stick to low-calorie options like vegetables, chicken, or mushroom clear soup.

17. Protein powder

This is not food per say but can serve as a meal replacement. Even though you should always try to have real food over supplementation, protein powder can really help you out when you are in a pinch and you have no time to actually prepare a meal.

It’s also a great option to have after a workout and you need a fast-digesting source of protein that can get into your bloodstream and your muscles to start the repairing process.

Another thing you can do with protein powder is make a protein shake directly before going out to eat with friends and family at a restaurant. This will significantly reduce your hunger and the total amount you wind up eating at the restaurant.

18. Coffee

A great way to further reduce your hunger is to enjoy the appetite suppressing effects of coffee. Coffee isn’t exactly a food but it is virtually an empty calorie beverage that reduces your desire to eat food.

Black coffee is best but even if you add a little bit of cream or sweetened almond milk you’ll still experience the benefits without any downside. Coffee is used as a staple by people who are trying to do intermittent fasting because it’s so great at suppressing appetite.

Most people don’t know that coffee also contains many antioxidants. One of these many antioxidants is chlorogenic acid or CGA and it can actually increase your body’s use of fat as energy. Research has also shown that CGA can slow the release of glucose and lower insulin resistance to prevent weight gain after eating a meal.

19. Asparagus

Asparagus is not only a great green vegetable that helps fill your stomach up and satisfy hunger but Asparagus has been shown to reduce bloating especially around the midsection. It is also one of the lowest carb vegetables available with only roughly half a gram of carbs per spear.

20. Peanut butter

The last food that you can incorporate more like a snack while trying to lose to lose belly fat is peanut butter. Peanut butter is very filling and also has a good amount of protein. However, regular peanut butter is still packed full of calories and fat. Getting a dehydrated peanut butter like PB2 can help you cut the calories in half while still getting plenty of protein and maintaining that same familiar peanut butter taste. I actually like the taste of PB2 better than regular peanut butter.

Also Read: 5 Cardio Mistakes Which Make You Fatter

Conclusion

That’s it, guys, I hope this article has really helped you out with understanding some of the food options that you can incorporate into your diet to lose belly fat. It is also important for me to mention that just eating any of these foods won’t necessarily result in losing belly fat unless the rest of your diet is on point. To lose belly fat you have to make sure that you are on a diet that incorporates these foods while giving you the right amount of calories and lowering insulin levels.

Credit To: Gravity Transformation.