If you’ve been trying to lose weight safely but find that the scale hasn’t budged just yet, it may be time to take a second look at the ingredients you’re routinely stocking in your kitchen. Heavily processed foods can make it difficult to maintain steady weight loss, but some of the best foods to help you lose weight are high in fiber, which many are surprised to learn is a form of a carbohydrate. Even if you adopt a strict high-fiber diet, it’s crucial to understand that there’s not a single ingredient or beverage you can consume to make you lose belly fat all on its own.
Body fat acts as an energy store for the body. It protects your organs, cushions joints, regulates body temperature and is responsible for the secretion of certain hormones. The fact it helps to regulate certain hormones plays a large part in keeping our menstrual cycles happy and healthy, as well. It’s mega important.
Here, we’ve pulled five of the most six-pack-friendly diets and streamlined how they’re great, as well as why they might be right (or wrong) for you—according to the hard science.
Peanut Butter
Peanut butter packs 8 grams of protein and up to 4 grams of fiber per serving, making it an ideal snack to help you fill up and stay satisfied. Just make sure that you’re taking a look at the ingredients label, which should only include peanuts and salt. A published review of research in the Journal of Food Science and Technology highlights the fact that peanut butter can help people feel more satisfied compared to other snacks.
Pumpkin
With more fiber than quinoa and more potassium than a banana, pumpkin puree is one of your best bets for snacking and cooking purposes. Try this the next time you’re craving sweets, add pureed pumpkin to unsweetened Greek yogurt with cinnamon and chopped pears for a nutritious dessert.
Salmon
The polyunsaturated fatty acids plus minerals in salmon make it an ideal dinner choice. The vitamin D found in each fillet has been previously linked in research illustrating that it may assist in weight management in overweight individuals. You’ll also get 25% of your daily vitamin B6, which can help with mood and stress regulation.
Potatoes
Believe it or not, air-fried potatoes are an excellent source of potassium, which can help manage bloating and counterbalance sodium. They’re high in fiber as well, meaning potatoes can be a nutrient-dense food.
Oats
Probiotics introduce useful bacterial to your system, but the prebiotics in oats feed the good bacteria already living there, helping it proliferate. Plus, there’s a hefty punch of dietary fiber in oatmeal, a common oats item, just a half cup has 4 grams, helping you stay full until lunchtime.
Almonds
Almonds, peanuts, walnuts, pistachios in particular are a strong source of protein, and various research has linked an increase in almond consumption to a decrease in LDL cholesterol. Particularly, though, regularly snacking on almonds has been linked to greater weight loss due to its effect on supercharging metabolisms.
