Everyone would like to follow a healthy diet, but we often seek specific foods to reduce belly fat when we find that our stomach is looking more rotund and we want to reduce the risk of lifestyle diseases.
But, what are the best foods to eat to lose belly fat? Are there certain foods to eat to lose weight in the stomach specifically?
In this guide to foods that burn belly fat, we will discuss what foods burn belly fat fast, the qualities of belly fat burning foods, and a list of the best foods to eat to lose belly fat.
We will cover:
- Foods That Burn Belly Fat Fast
- What Are the Best Foods to Eat to Lose Belly Fat?
Let’s dive in!
Foods That Burn Belly Fat Fast
There aren’t necessarily “the best foods that burn belly fat fast.“
Burning belly fat is a matter of losing body fat overall, as you can’t really spot produce belly fat vs body fat anywhere else in your body.
However, the deep abdominal fat, known as visceral fat, which is belly fat that surrounds your organs, is more prone to accumulate when you have inflammation, hormonal imbalances, and are following a poor diet.
Belly fat burning foods may help boost your metabolism and decrease chronic inflammation while also supporting optimal hormonal balance, blood sugar regulation, and appetite control, all of which can help you lose weight and lose belly fat.
For this reason, a list of the best foods to lose belly fat includes anti-inflammatory foods, foods that increase satiety to reduce appetite, and foods that help regulate blood sugar and insulin levels to support a healthier metabolism, steady energy, and fat burning rather than fat storage.
What Are the Best Foods to Eat to Lose Belly Fat?
Here is a list of the best foods to burn belly fat fast:
#1: Legumes
Legumes such as beans, lentils, chickpeas, and peas (also called pulses) can be great foods that burn belly fat.
These foods burn belly fat because they are packed with dietary fiber, including both soluble fiber and insoluble fiber.Insoluble fiber helps bulk up stool to keep you full and improve digestion while soluble fiber helps feed the healthy gut bacteria, which play a key role in reducing inflammation, producing certain vitamins, and supporting immune health.
One study found that visceral fat decreased by an average of 3.7% over the course of five years when individuals boosted their soluble fiber intake by 10 grams per day.
Beans, lentils, and other legumes also are good sources of plant-based protein, and protein increases satiety and may give you a slight metabolic boost.
#2: Fatty Fish
Fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, sardines, and fatty tuna are among the best foods to eat to burn belly fat.
For one, fish is a great source of protein, which will help you stay full and may help boost metabolism.
More importantly, fatty fish are one of the richest sources of omega-3 fatty acids, which are a specific type of polyunsaturated fats shown to confer potent anti-inflammatory benefits to the body.
At its core, obesity is a chronic disease that is often associated with underlying chronic inflammation, and even obesity in and of itself causes inflammation in the body.
Therefore, anti-inflammatory diet foods are some of the best foods to reduce belly fat.
#3: Almonds and Other Nuts
Almonds are a great choice to add to your list of the best foods that burn belly fat because this nutritious nut has healthy fats, protein, and fiber along with antioxidants, such as vitamin E and polyphenols.
The result is a belly fat-burning food that combats inflammation and food cravings between meals and prevents blood sugar spikes by slowing the release of glucose into the bloodstream.
Nuts have healthy fats with anti-inflammatory properties, and they also promote satiety, potentially helping you consume fewer calories throughout the rest of the day.
If you want to double up with foods that reduce belly fat in a belly fat loss snack, try pairing almonds with Greek yogurt.
#4: Full-Fat Dairy Products
People trying to lose weight in the stomach or reduce belly fat quickly often turn to fat-free yogurt, skim milk, low-fat cheese, and other sources of reduced-fat dairy.
However, although you may save a few calories by choosing low-fat vs full-fat dairy, studies actually suggest that eating full-fat dairy products is a more effective way to curb appetite and burn belly fat.
Two of the best foods to lose belly fat are full-fat Greek yogurt and kefir, a probiotic-rich drink made from dairy milk.
In addition to the protein and satiating effects of the full-fat dairy products just described, yogurt and kefir provide natural probiotics.
Probiotics help support and balance the beneficial bacteria residing in your gut microbiome.
An ever-growing body of research has demonstrated that there is a strong link between gut dysbiosis (an imbalance in the types of bacteria in the gut) and obesity.
Therefore, adding foods with probiotics to your “belly fat loss diet plan“ is one of the best tips for how to lose belly fat.
#5: Oatmeal
While some people try to cut carbs when looking for the best food to eat to lose belly fat, there are some good high-carb foods to burn belly fat.
Oats, or oatmeal, is a great example.
If you choose whole rolled oats or steel-cut oatmeal rather than quick oats or sugar-sweetened oatmeal packets, oats can be one of the best foods to lose belly fat.
#6: Peanut Butter
Peanut butter is another great belly fat burning food that people often overlook due to the high-fat, high-calorie nature of nut butters.
However, it is rich in vitamin E, polyphenols, antioxidants, fiber, healthy fats, and protein, all of which can increase satiety while supporting optimal health.
#7: Eggs
Eggs should be on every list of the best foods to burn belly fat because they are a great source of protein, contain virtually no carbs, and have some vitamin D.
Low levels of vitamin D have been associated with abdominal obesity, so some of the best foods to lose belly fat are those high in vitamin D.
Studies have also found that consuming an egg breakfast increases satiety and curbs appetite longer than a high-carb breakfast of an equal number of calories.
Because losing belly fat is ultimately a matter of burning excess calories to lose weight, an egg breakfast may be a powerful belly fat-blasting food.
#8: Extra Virgin Olive Oil
The Mediterranean diet is routinely ranked as one of the healthiest weight loss diets and lifestyle diets for reducing the risk of diseases such as cardiovascular disease, heart disease, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and obesity.
The disease-lowering benefits of the Mediterranean diet are often attributed to heart-healthy, anti-inflammatory oils such as extra-virgin olive oil.
Studies have found that olive oil is one of the best testosterone-boosting foods, and testosterones can help boost metabolism and suppress fat-storing hormones.
Moreover, studies have shown that following a high-fat version of the Mediterranean diet by supplementing the diet with additional olive oil can reduce the accumulation of body fat compared to those who follow a low-fat diet.
The monounsaturated fats may have a protective effect against body fat storage.
Olive oil may also help lower LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and increase HDL (“good”) cholesterol while also controlling appetite and reducing inflammation: a win-win for one of the best foods to lose stomach fat.
#9: Avocados
Although avocados are high in calories, they are packed with healthy monounsaturated fats and fiber, both of which can help you burn belly fat and stay satiated between meals.
In fact, studies have found that people who consume more avocados tend to have a lower body weight as well as less body fat than those who do not.
#10: Fruits
Most fruits can be incorporated into a belly fat loss diet plan, but certain fruits may be especially helpful foods that burn belly fat.
According to research, some of the best fruits to lose belly fat include apples, pears, watermelons, grapes, and strawberries, along with other berries.
Pomegranates, berries, and cherries have specifically been found to have antioxidants that seem to combat the risk of inflammation due to obesity.
#11: Leafy Green Vegetables
Non-starchy vegetables also provide fiber and lots of water to help control appetite on fewer calories.
Dark, leafy greens such as spinach, bok choy, kale, beet greens, etc., are excellent foods that burn belly fat due to the high concentration of antioxidants.
A cup of fresh spinach contains only 7 calories, yet you get iron, a little bit of protein, some B vitamins, vitamin C, and potent polyphenols.
For more tips on losing belly fat, check out our guide on whether running burns belly fat here.
