Eating nutrient-dense, fat-burning foods can help you lose weight and improve your health in several ways. For example, eating a healthy, balanced diet may be able to reverse diabetes and reduce your risk of obesity and other health problems, including certain types of cancer.
Plus, when you ask the average person about their personal goals, there’s too often a common theme: wanting to lose weight (especially belly fat).
Although the reasons are often superficial (after all, who doesn’t want to look good in their bathing suit or summer outfit?); the reality is that the benefits of losing weight go far beyond what is reflected in the mirror.
Filling up on nourishing foods can also boost your energy levels (when you’re tired), productivity, and mental clarity, and help you feel better about yourself.
If you want to add more healthy foods to your diet, especially for weight loss, fat burning, and just to feel good, start by focusing on the ultimate fat-burning foods listed below.
15 Fat Burning Foods for Weight Loss
What foods increase your metabolism and burn fat? When it comes to foods that help burn fat fast, including belly fat, here’s what you need to know:
The most effective fat-burning foods and drinks have several things in common:
- They are often high in fiber, protein, and/or healthy fats. These attributes help reduce hunger and cravings; to increase satiety after and between meals and to stimulate thermogenesis (the production of heat that occurs during digestion, which is highest when consuming protein-rich foods).
- These are unprocessed/whole foods with little or no added sugar, sodium, etc. This means that they tend to be relatively low in calories or, in some cases, contain virtually no calories.
- Fat-burning foods provide essential vitamins and minerals that support your metabolism; energy, stamina, and mental health, such as B vitamins, iron, and electrolytes.
Here is a list of the best fat-burning foods:
1. Apple cider vinegar
This pantry staple may actually help you lose weight by reducing sugar cravings and helping balance blood sugar levels, thanks to its active ingredient called acetic acid.
Ingesting apple cider vinegar before a meal can fill you up with less food and protect you against obesity. Plus, it acts as a natural way to detoxify your body and balance your stomach pH. Because the substance is very acidic, try adding a tablespoon or two to a glass of water before drinking.
2. Bone Broth
Bone broth is considered a superfood that may have the potential to transform your health in tangible ways, including controlling your appetite.
Thanks to the abundance of amino acids in bone broth; bone broth can help prevent muscle breakdown, increase your metabolism, and help detoxify your body.
While our ancestors ate bone broth regularly, since they weren’t wasting any animal body parts, it’s not as common in our daily diets anymore.
3. Cayenne pepper
This spicy seasoning is good for more than just increasing the heat of your food. A 2015 review found that capsaicin (the active ingredient in cayenne pepper) may have significant potential to promote vascular and metabolic health.
Cayenne pepper increases your body’s ability to create heat and use energy; exactly what you want when trying to shed those extra pounds. Cayenne pepper also supports your metabolism, which can help you lose fat, and burn fat faster.
One of the easiest ways to add more cayenne pepper to your diet is to sprinkle it on foods that burn belly fat like chicken or beef for an extra kick of flavor and heat.
4. Chia seeds
These seeds, originally grown in Mexico, are a nutritional powerhouse packed with healthy fats, antioxidants, and fiber, making them real fat-burning food.
Not only does consuming chia seeds increase energy and give you more endurance power (you’ll get that workout after a long day!), but because it absorbs so much of its own weight in water; the seed also helps slow down your body’s digestion. It helps reduce hunger pangs and cravings, making it one of the hottest foods for women at this time of the month.
5. Chicken
When it comes to protein sources, which foods burn fat fast? If you’re trying to lose weight, chicken is a protein-rich and readily available choice to refuel.
Just three ounces of chicken — about the size of a deck of cards — provides about 37% of your body’s daily value of protein. This nutrient helps keep our bodies energized, our muscles looking sculpted and our bellies feeling full. Whenever possible, opt for quality, locally grown, or organic chicken.
6. Coconut oil
Not all fats are created equal. In fact, coconut oil is one of the healthiest and most natural fats we can consume; thanks to its medium-chain fats which are easily digested and used as a source of energy.
Coconut oil is filling and can help keep your thyroid in shape. Swapping vegetable oils for coconut oil in your cooking is an easy way to add another fat-burning food to your diet.
7. Ghee
Ghee, a clarified butter originally popular in India, is a surprising fat-burning food for weight loss. Due to its high smoke point, ghee retains its phytonutrients while cooking.
As a bonus, it is also suitable for people sensitive to lactose and casein. And, thanks to the medium-chain fatty acids it contains, ghee can actually help your body burn other fats.
8. Grapefruit
Which fruit burns the most fat? Oranges aren’t the only citrus fruits in the neighborhood. Grapefruit is just as delicious, and luckily for us, research suggests it’s also an important fat-burning food.
The enzymes found in the fruit help your body break down sugar, helping to boost your metabolism and — you guessed it — shed those pounds.
Try adding a slice of grapefruit to boost your breakfast or squeezing the fresh juice into a glass of water.
9. Grass-fed beef
Red meat has often been stigmatized as unhealthy, but that’s a common misconception. Instead, “you are what you eat” is a saying that rings especially true with grass-fed beef.
Skipping the lower quality versions and splurging on quality beef means you’ll be fueling your body with one of the highest sources of protein, helping to encourage weight loss.
You might not suspect that beef is one of the best fat-burning foods for men, but eating beef can actually help control your appetite and satisfy your hunger.
Beef is a source of a healthy fat called conjugated linoleic acid, which appears to promote weight loss and fat burning in overweight adults. You’ll also ingest higher levels of vitamins and minerals like zinc and iron, antioxidants, and good fats when you switch to grass-fed beef.
10. Matcha green tea
Green tea is not only beneficial because of its antioxidant content; it’s also been shown to be a natural fat-burning drink, thanks in part to its caffeine.
Sipping a cup of matcha green tea isn’t just soothing; drinking it regularly can help reduce body fat and lower cholesterol levels. Plus, it helps your body repair itself faster after high-intensity workouts.
11. Kefir
Kefir is a fermented drink similar to yogurt and loaded with medicinal benefits.
Studies show that fermented dairy products like kefir and unsweetened yogurt can serve as natural foods to burn belly fat because they fill out and provide important nutrients like protein, healthy fatty acids, potassium, calcium, and magnesium.
Kefir is packed with probiotics, the (good!) bacteria that help your body fight infections. Probiotics are also good news for those trying to lose weight – their consumption is associated with weight loss.
Try swapping kefir for your regular yogurt several times a week.
12. Salmon
Wild salmon is not only a great source of protein, but it’s also a great way to get omega-3 fatty acids, which have been shown to have anti-inflammatory effects and potentially help hormonal balance and cardiovascular health, according to some studies.
One study found evidence that omega-3s from fish have the potential to act as nutritional therapeutic agents in preventing obesity-related inflammation.
You will also find vitamin D, B vitamins, selenium, potassium, phosphorus, and more in salmon. An added benefit of all these nutrients is that eating fish regularly can help boost brain function and your mood, as well as improve immunity, bone health, and skin health.
13. Eggs
Including eggs in your breakfast can help control your appetite for the rest of the day and improve weight loss, thanks to their protein and fat content. Compared to sugary foods and refined grains, eggs are more filling and help stabilize blood sugar.
Plus, eggs contain nutrients like omega-3s, B vitamins, choline, and antioxidants (like lutein and zeaxanthin) that can help protect you against a variety of conditions by reducing risk factors for liver disease, heart disease, diabetes, and stroke. They also provide you with collagen, the protein that helps build and strengthen skin, joints, and connective tissue.
For maximum nutrient content, avoid conventional eggs and only purchase certified organic pastured eggs whenever possible, preferably from a local farmer if possible.
14. Oatmeal
One hundred percent whole grains such as oats, quinoa, barley, etc. are among the best sources of fiber, which supports gut health, as well as appetite control, blood sugar balance, and more.
The soluble fiber in oats is present in the outer husk, called oat bran. Oats contain about 55 percent soluble fiber and 45 percent insoluble fiber.
Fiber takes up a lot of space in your stomach and absorbs water, helping you feel full (despite its low-calorie content) and also keeping you “regular” by preventing constipation and bloating.
It may come as a surprise that oats are a good source of plant-based protein, with over eight grams in every 2/3 cup of dry oats. Some studies have also shown that oat consumption has significant effects on controlling high blood sugar, lowering blood lipids, and reducing weight.
Just be sure to buy unsweetened rolled oats, oat bran, or steel-cut oats to get the maximum benefits.
15. Legumes and Beans
Beans/legumes are one of the most affordable sources of protein, fiber, antioxidants like flavonoids, and many vitamins and minerals like folic acid and magnesium.
Studies have linked regular consumption of legumes and beans (including black, white, and white beans, chickpeas, lentils, etc.) as part of a primarily plant-based diet with enhanced protection against obesity, inflammation, heart disease, diabetes, certain cancers, and common nutritional deficiencies.
Consuming the fiber found in beans is associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, as it helps balance unhealthy cholesterol levels while flushing out wastes and toxins from the body.
Some studies have shown that consuming the resistant starch found in beans can help control your appetite and lead to a significant reduction in unhealthy body fat, while also helping with blood sugar management and digestive function.
Schlussfolgerung
Incorporating healthy fat-burning foods into your diet can be a powerful way to support weight loss and achieve optimal health. The 15 foods discussed in this article have been shown to be effective at boosting metabolism, promoting fat burning, and providing essential nutrients to the body.
It’s important to note that while these foods may help you burn fat, they should be consumed as part of a healthy, balanced diet and combined with regular physical activity for optimal results.
