37 fat-burning foods to help you lose weight

If you’re dealing with some stubborn kilos that refuse to budge, introducing some of these foods into your diet could be the answer.

Secret fat-burner: Calcium

There are a lot of dairy myths circulating online, but as it turns out, milk really does do a body good – as do yoghurt and cheese. A review of more than 90 studies in the journal Nutrition Reviews revealed a strong link between high calcium intake and improved body composition. In another study from the International Journal of Obesity, researchers reviewed 14 randomised controlled clinical trials and found that people who ate the most dairy had a 700 gram greater reduction in fat mass than those who didn’t eat much dairy. This is likely because calcium in milk decreases the levels of a vitamin that encourages fat cells to grow, making it easier to lose weight. Has your diet faiiled to show results? Here are 20 reasons why.

Secret fat-burner: Fibre

Let’s settle this once and for all: As long as you eat the right kinds, carbs are actually good for you. In fact, they are one of the fat-burning foods you should add to your plate tonight. Enjoy a delicious barley side dish instead of white rice with dinner and you could be well on your way to shedding dangerous belly fat, according to a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Eating whole grains keeps you full and stops you from overeating. Barley, in particular, is known to raise blood sugar slowly, so you skip the sugar spike and crash that leaves you hungry soon after a meal. Check out these 12 great weight loss hacks you can do right now.

Secret fat-burner: Catechins

Aiding weight loss is just one of the health benefits of green tea. “Catechins increase metabolism and the rate at which the liver burns fat,” says Journal of Nutrition study author Kevin C. Maki, PhD, whose team found that drinking green tea may directly target abdominal fat. To reap those rewards, drink four to six cups of caffeinated green tea a day and log at least 180 minutes of exercise each week. Make your tea more heart healthy by adding lemon juice. This power food pairing lets catechins be more readily absorbed into our systems. Here are five drinks to help you lose weight.

Secret fat-burner: Protein

Protein helps with weight loss in a number of ways. First, your body uses more energy – think kilojoules – to break down protein foods than it does to break down other foods. Protein also helps you hang onto muscle mass as you’re losing weight, and since muscle burns more kilojoules than fat, you want to keep as much of it as you can. Finally, protein dampens hunger better than carbohydrates do, says Donald K. Layman, PhD, the Journal of Nutrition study’s lead researcher, adding that decreasing carbohydrates also helped the protein group lose weight. A single egg has six grams of protein, making them one of the top foods that burn fat.

Secret fat-burner: Good fats

Plenty of studies point to nuts – aka the best disease fighter in your pantry – as one of the fat-burning foods you should add to your diet (as long as you don’t go overboard). Chalk it up to their fibre, their protein and their good fat, which may increase the body’s sensitivity to insulin, aiding weight loss. Walnuts are one of the best non-fish sources of omega-3 fatty acids, and almonds provide an extra benefit in the form of bone-building calcium. Here are 10 great hassle-free, low-glycaemic snacks.

Secret fat-burner: Omega-3s

Eating fat might sound like a crazy idea when you’re trying to lose fat, but getting more omega-3 fatty acids from fish like salmon could be just what the diet doctor ordered, according to a study in the British Journal of Nutrition. “Although the exact mechanisms are unknown, omega-3 fatty acids reduce fat mass,” says Irene Munro, study author and researcher from the University of Newcastle in Newcastle, Australia. In addition to adding years to your life, other studies have found that omega-3 fatty acids make you feel less hungry and more satisfied up to two hours after eating a fatty fish meal. Aim to eat salmon or another oily fish, like mackerel, herring, or canned tuna, at least twice a week. If that doesn’t sound appealing, substitute the fish for other fat-burning foods that are rich in omega-3s. Is saturated fat bad for you? FInd out here.

Secret fat-burner: Flavonoids

What do these foods have in common? They contain flavonoids, natural chemicals in plant foods that may have fat-fighting effects. Women who consumed the most flavonoids had significantly lower increases in body mass index over a 14-year period than women who ate the least, according to a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. “Animal studies have shown that these flavonoids can increase energy [kilojoule] expenditure, increase glucose uptake into muscle and increase fat burning,” says Laura Hughes, MSc, the study’s lead investigator and a nutritional epidemiologist at Maastricht University in the Netherlands.

Secret fat-burner: Lignans

These shiny, fat-burning foods pack a secret weight-loss weapon: lignans. As estrogen-like compounds, they also make flaxseed one of the superfoods all healthy women need in their diets. Consumption of lignans in postmenopausal women was associated with lower body fat and body mass index, according to a study in the British Journal of Nutrition. Try grinding and adding a tablespoon of flaxseed each day to cereals, yoghurt, or salad dressing. Find out the eight weight-loss roadblocks that could be holding you back.

Secret fat-burner: Acids

You already know that vinegar has super helpful uses around the house, but it could do your body some good, too. Researchers say vinegar is one of the foods that burn fat because it turns on genes that produce enzymes that help the body break down fat. Interested in trying it? Slurp 15 millilitres (about a tablespoon) of vinegar daily, perhaps diluting it with milk or soda to make it less acidic and more palatable.