List of Fat Burning Foods

Obesity is a major global concern today. The only way to fight obesity is by following a strict diet and doing exercises that help in losing weight. There are certain foods that are listed as fat burning foods. The main property of these foods is their ability to burn the excess body fat by suppressing your appetite for junk food. If you are planning to reduce weight then along with your weight loss program, include a few fat burning foods. Negative calorie foods are also called fat burning foods.

What is Fat Burning Food

Fat burning foods can be defined as foods that help in burning more calories than its own calorie content. Fat burning foods are included in a well-defined diet plan of a weight loss program.

List of Fat Burning Foods

Take a look at some fat burning foods that have been clinically proven to help the body in shedding excess weight. Fat burning foods are rich in vitamins and minerals and also possess certain fat reducing substances.

Apples: "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." The proverb holds true because an apple is rich in fiber and helps in preventing hunger pangs. Apples help to maintain the blood glucose at normal levels. The total calories in an apple are 81. Apple is called a fat burning food because it has no saturated fat, cholesterol or sodium. The health benefits of consuming apples are - it helps to bring the blood pressure to normal levels and also lowers the cholesterol level in the blood.

Beans: Beans are one of the best sources of plant proteins. A cup of cooked beans (any variety) have 215 calories. Beans have low sodium and high potassium contents. Regular consumption of beans also helps in lowering cholesterol levels in the blood. Beans combined with rice, wheat and barley make a complete meal.

Barley: Barley is a food grain that is high in protein and fiber and low in fat. A cup of cooked barley has 170 calories. Historical records reveal that the staple food of Roman gladiators was barley. There are many delicious recipes that use barley as the main ingredient.

Broccoli: Broccoli is considered as one of the most beneficial vegetables that help in fighting cancer. This vegetable is high in fiber, beta carotene, vitamin C and calcium. Broccoli is rich in "indoles", a cancer fighting chemical. A cup of cooked or fresh broccoli has only 44 calories.

Cabbage: A cup of shredded cabbage has 33 calories. Cabbage protects the body against colon cancer. This is one of the most healthy fat burning foods that is used in sauerkraut and coleslaw recipes.

Carrots: Carrot contains beta-carotene and vitamin A. The total calories in a medium-sized carrot is 55. Carrot is known as a nutritional powerhouse. A cup of chopped carrots before a meal is filling and will suppress hunger.

Coffee: Recent studies show caffeine helps in burning calories and it is a stimulant. However, have moderate quantities of coffee i.e. not more than 2 cups a day.

Chicken: Chicken is a lean meat which has ample quantities of protein, iron, niacin and zinc. Total calories of cooked chicken is 245. You can add BBQ chicken or grilled chicken in your daily diet because it is filling and healthy. Remove the skin of the chicken before cooking it. There are many chicken recipes that can be dished out as low-fat food.

Cottage Cheese: Cottage cheese is, anytime, better than processed cheese. A cup of cottage cheese has 205 calories and the fat content is 2%. Cottage cheese is rich in calcium and vitamin B. It can be used in various recipes instead of cream cheese.

Fish: Seafood is a healthy food and it is hard to gain weight if fish is a part of your daily diet. Studies reveal that daily supplement of fish oil lowers high blood pressure and cholesterol levels in the blood.

Figs: Figs are rich in fiber and low in calories. Adding figs to the daily diet gives a feeling of fullness and prevents you from overeating.

Garlic: Garlic helps to lower cholesterol in blood and also burns fat. It is known as an effective fat burning food.

Grapefruit: Grapefruit is high in vitamin C and potassium. It also contains pectin that helps to reduce cholesterol in the bloodstream. A medium-sized grapefruit has 75 calories. Grapefruit helps in burning fat because it contains galalacturonic acid.

Kiwi: A kiwi fruit has 46 calories. It is sweet and is rich in vitamin C and potassium. This fruit makes a great dessert.

Lettuce: Lettuce is one of the healthiest green leafy vegetables that should be included in diet plans. This leafy salad vegetable is rich in vitamin C and a cup of lettuce has no more than 10 calories.

Melons: Melons are one of the best fat-burning foods that are rich in vitamin A and vitamin C. Melons have high fiber and water content and a cup of watermelon has 49 calories. They are also a rich source of potassium.

Onion: A cup of raw onion has 60 calories and helps in lowering cholesterol.

Pasta: Whole wheat pasta helps in burning fat. A cup of cooked pasta has only 155 calories and is rich in minerals such as copper, magnesium, zinc, phosphorous, manganese and iron. There are many sumptuous pasta recipes that can be dished out in a jiffy.

Spinach: Spinach is rich in vitamins C and E, iron and beta carotene. A cup of cooked spinach reduces cholesterol levels in the bloodstream. Spinach salad makes a healthy meal.

Tomatoes: A medium-sized tomato has around 25 calories. It is rich in fiber and potassium and low in fat and sodium. Introduce tomatoes in your diet as they help in weight loss.

Red Chillies: Red chilies contain capsaicin which helps in burning fat because it increases the rate of metabolism.

Yogurt: Yogurt is rich in protein, calcium, zinc and riboflavin. It is low in fat and a cup of yogurt contains only 120 calories. You can replace creams and whole milk with yogurt in some recipes.

Tofu: Tofu is made from soybean curd. A small cube of tofu contains 86 calories. It also contains calcium and iron but has no saturated fat and sodium. Tofu increases the metabolism rate and reduces cholesterol.

Fat burning is a way of losing excess fat by consuming healthy food and by practicing a few fat burning workouts.