Fat Fighting Foods

Would you like to get more bang per bite? These foods can do double duty for you, while blasting fat and making you feel full for longer, which will also help you eat fewer calories!

Greek Yogurt

Greek yogurt is protein-packed, with double the protein of other yogurts. According to Leslie Bonci, a sports nutrition expert, because protein stays in your stomach longer with a slow-burn for your body’s energy, it keeps you satiated longer than other food sources. You also burn more calories from a rich protein source such as Greek yogurt than with one high in carbohydrates. Greek yogurt is also a delicious dessert.

Quinoa

Quinoa (keen-wa) is a nutritional whole grain food with lots of protein and fiber. It’s a snap to cook, and is also loaded with selenium, vitamin E, iron, and zinc (a cold fighting mineral). It’s a versatile food, too. Create a unique meal by mixing quinoa with veggies, a lean protein, or nuts.

Cinnamon

Nutritionist Leslie Bonci also says that cinnamon may be beneficial to people with type-two diabetes because it could help keep sugar levels low in the body. It’s helpful to us all as a sugar substitute in tea and coffee. It sweetens with no calories, which makes it great as a fat fighter.

Hot Peppers

Hot peppers can curb your appetite for awhile and accelerate metabolism a little due to a compound it has called capsaicin. Even though the capsaicin itself has a minimal effect on eating, any hot pepper, such as jalapenos will cause you to eat less due to the spicy flavor.

Green Tea

Green tea has catechins, which is a chemical that not only helps protect you from diseases, but somehow stimulates your body to fight belly fat. It is suggested by Bonci that to assist in losing weight you must drink several cups daily. Hot green tea is recommended since it requires more time to consume, tastes great, and is known to suppress over-eating.

Grapefruit

Grapefruit has many benefits to your body. It has chemicals that speed up your metabolism. It is loaded with fiber that is slow to digest, which also satiates you more than other foods. Because of these two facts, you will lose weight consuming grapefruits or grapefruit juice daily. It also aids in fighting arthritis, preventing cancer and common colds, and even lowers the LDL, or “bad” cholesterol levels. So, try eating half a grapefruit mornings, or drink a glass of it for some real benefits to your body.

Watermelon

There’s nothing like a cold, sweet watermelon on a hot summer afternoon. Bonci says that because watermelon contains much water it will fill up your stomach fast. When this happens, a signal is sent to your brain that you’re full, which will curb your appetite. This will promote weight loss if you have extra pounds. Watermelon is loaded with lycopene, an antioxidant, and also contains vitamins B and C. So, it not only helps you lose weight, but provides nutrients and vitamins for a healthy life.

Pears and Apples

Pears and apples contain much water, also. After you wash them, don’t discard the peelings. They are rich in fiber. Fiber will promote the “feeling full” sensation, which slows down the eating like watermelon. Bonci says it’s more beneficial to eat these fruits rather than just drink it in juice form. The pears and apples will give you that needed fiber, and by chewing them, it will take longer for consumption. Another benefit is that you burn more calories by chewing these fruits rather than sipping the juice.

Grapes VS Raisins

Two cups of grapes and one-fourth cup of raisins each contains about 100 calories. The difference is that the two cups of grapes will satisfy your hunger more than the raisins. It will, therefore, help curb your appetite more than the raisins. Bonci says that you still shouldn’t give up on dried fruits such as raisins and dried cranberries, however. They can add much flavor and texture to salads with just small amounts.

Berries

Many berries are loaded with fiber and water. Eating them will help you feel satiated for a long time. Another plus is that berries can satisfy your craving for sweets. They are much more beneficial to your health than pastries and cookies. One berry that is an excellent source for antioxidants is blueberries. They are easy to obtain as well, so they are an excellent choice.

Fresh Raw Vegetables

Fresh raw veggies are an ideal snack. The texture of many raw vegetables satisfies that desire for crunchy eating. They’re also loaded with water, which will give you that feeling of being full. Raw vegetables are rich in flavanoids, so they promote health. Great, too, is that they’re always so low in calories. Did you know that a full cup of celery, for example, is only 1 6 calories? Bonci recommends adding some zest to celery by topping with thin coat of peanut butter. Also, try salsa with your raw carrots and other veggies for a change.

Sweet Potatoes

Substitute your usual baked potato with a sweet potato. It’s very flavorful, and doesn’t need all the usual toppings, such as sour cream or cheese. This translates to far fewer calories. It’s wonderful, too, in that sweet potatoes are loaded with vitamins and nutrients. A sweet potato is an excellent source of vitamin C, fiber, beta carotene, and potassium.

Eggs

It’s been shown that having that delicious egg to start your day will fight off hunger much longer than many foods. It’s even more filling than a bagel. One large egg has a full seven grams of rich protein, and contains only 75 calories. It also has other nutrients that are essential to your health. It is recommended to consult with your family physician if you have high blood pressure, to learn the maximum number of eggs that you can enjoy weekly.

Coffee

Yes, coffee! If you’re the typical American, you like that one or two cups daily. It’s believed that coffee will speed up your metabolism, which aids in losing weight.

Oatmeal

This is a hot meal that is a fantastic way to start your morning. Oatmeal is full of fiber from whole grains, and has a lot of water. It will make you feel satiated for a long time. Bonci recommends buying the unsweetened oatmeal so that you can make it to your taste. It’s also recommended to add nutmeg or cinnamon to replace some of the high calories of sugar.

Crispbreads

Crispbreads are whole-grain rye crackers. They have much more fiber than the typical crackers, and are low in calories. Substituting whole grains for the refined grains will help prevent that “pot belly” that can be so hard to get rid of, especially once you hit middle age. Whole grains give you many various nutrients that the regular crackers don’t provide, also. Try brown rice rather than white rice, which has more nutrients and assuages hunger better. Eat the whole grain bread and whole grain cereals for a healthy change. Then say “goodbye” to that stubborn belly fat.

Vinegar

Vinegar and oil make an excellent mix as a dressing for your favorite salad. Research supports that vinegar helps break down body fat. It has no calories. Adding just one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar with grapefruit helps fight fat. Vinegar is full of iron, potassium and calcium for healthy bones, teeth and hair.

Tabouli

A whole grain bulgar wheat, such as tabouli is loaded with protein and fiber. The fiber will feel make you feel full for a long spell. More good news is that has only a few calories and little fat. Bonci recommends that you need only a little oil for a bountiful taste. It’s delicious with tomato, parsley and cucumber.

Soup

This means the soup with broth rather than the creamy type. It has many benefits if you’re trying to shed extra pounds. First of all, it has lots of water to fill you up. It’s low in calories, and is an excellent way to begin your dinner. Since it’s filling, soup will help you to not overeat. Because it’s piping hot, also, you will not gulp it down fast. You can even have soup as a complete meal in itself by combining fish, fresh raw vegetables, chicken, or beans.

Salad

Besides a delicious soup, you can eat a salad before dinner. Lettuce is high in water content to fill your stomach. Your salad can be delightful with various vegetables and fruits. For some protein and garnishment, you can add grated cheese. Bonci advises to be mindful of the dressing, and suggests hummus, salsa, vinegar and oil, or even a black bean dip.

Nuts

Alleviate those hunger pangs with nuts anytime. They are nutritious, and full of protein and fiber. Research has shown that eating nuts in moderation helps loss weight, and also keep the “bad” LDL cholesterol level low. Bonci suggests eating the nuts in shells, which will prevent you from eating too fast, and will allow you to eat longer.

Popcorn

Try some air-popped plain popcorn for a change. It’s very low in calories, and since much of it is air, it will provide food volume without the fat and sugar. It’s a real treat that still can help you lose fat.

Lean Meat

Since protein takes longer than other food sources to digest, you will burn more calories. Be careful, however. Dark meat has lots of fat usually. Flank steak, top sirloin, and eye-of-round all have about three grams of saturated fat for each serving. Skinless chicken breast is scrumptious, and has little fat. A four ounce helping of lean meat will suffice each meal.

Fish

Fish is an ideal source for lean meat full of protein. It actually is more filling than other meats due to its high protein content. Fish has very little fat, and contains only the healthy kind of fat, omega- 3. Omega-3 fatty acids help prevent many diseases.

Beans

Beans are low in calories, yet high in fiber and protein content which means that you’ll stay full longer. They’re easy to prepare. Usually, all that’s needed is opening the can, and maybe heating them up for a delicious side dish. Garbanzo beans are a great example. Just open the can, and throw them into a soup or salad. One cup of garbanzo beans has 12 grams of fiber, 15 grams of protein, and only 4 grams of fat.