We live in an instant gratification society where everything seemingly is just a click, touch, or call away.
No longer do you need to go to the grocery store, drive home, prep your food, eat it, and then do the dishes.
Simply pick up your phone, open up the GrubHub app, and your meal will be on its way before you can even have the table set.
While technology has afforded us many conveniences, it’s also done us some disservices along the way, namely when it comes to getting results from our diet and training programs.
We want results NOW, but the truth is that results don’t happen overnight. They are the result of carefully made decisions and purposeful actions that are carried out consistently with effort and intention.
In other words, there are no magic foods that will help you lose belly fat, and there are no “special” workouts to blast fat or build muscle.
The time individuals spend searching for “hacks” or shortcuts would be better spent keeping their heads down and working the time honored process behind weight loss -- moving more and eating less.
With that mentality a lot of frustration, irritation, and despair would go by the wayside.
Now, you might be asking yourself, why am I reading an article about “top 10 foods that burn fat” if there are no “superfoods” that actually burn fat?
Well, here’s the thing, there are foods that can help you lose weight by keeping you feeling fuller for longer after eating (thus helping you eat less calories during the day) as well as other foods that provide a modest boost in metabolism (which increases the overall number of calories you burn during the day).
Combined with proper diet and training, these foods can help to burn fat.
But, make no mistake, simply eating these foods on their own (without eating properly and training hard) won’t make you “burn fat” or lose weight. Added to the right plan, like those offered with our transformation challenge entries, certain foods can enhance your results and make it easier to stick to your nutrition plan.
So, without further adieu, here are our 10 top foods that burn fat!
Top 10 Foods That Burn Fat
Rather than give you a generic top 10 list of foods like so many other blogs and fitness websites do, we’ll do you one (or FOUR) better!
We’ve crafted four different top 10 lists of foods that help burn fat. These foods will help increase satiety, improve compliance, and boost performance and recovery (which allows you to train more often, ultimately burning more calories!).
Protein
When it comes to losing weight (or building muscle), consuming enough protein is essential. The reason for this is multifactorial.
First, protein is the most satiating macronutrient, meaning it helps keep you feeling fuller for longer.[1,2]
Second, protein supplies the body with essential amino acids, like those found in 1UP His BCAA/EAA and 1UP Her BCAA/EAA, which are needed to build and repair muscle tissue. The more lean muscle you have, the more calories your body burns during the day, even at rest!
Third, protein is the most metabolically expensive macronutrient for the body to digest, meaning more calories are burned digesting protein than either carbohydrates or fat.
Fourth, research has found that higher protein diets lead to better weight loss and less feelings of hunger compared to diets that are lower in protein but of similar caloric value.[2,3]
Fifth, consuming a protein shake before bed, such as 1UP Whey Protein or 1UP Organic Vegan Protein, can promote muscle recovery without impeding the body’s ability to burn fat while you sleep.
Essentially, if you’re looking to streamline weight loss, then it’s imperative that you consume enough protein each day.
Here are 10 of top protein sources to help burn fat:
- Lean beef (sirloin, flank steak, etc.)
- Chicken
- Turkey
- Wild Alaskan salmon
- Bison
- Pork tenderloin
- Shrimp
- Trout
- Eggs
- Protein Powder (such as 1UP Whey protein, 1UP Egg Protein or 1UP Organic Vegan Protein)
Carbohydrates
When it comes to losing weight, carbohydrates are the equivalent of a four letter word. They’re viewed as something that not only prevent individuals from getting results, but actually lead to fat gain.
This simply isn’t true for a number of reasons.
Plus, many of the same foods that are recommended to help keep individuals full during dieting -- spinach, broccoli, lettuce, etc. are carbohydrates!
Moreover, consuming the right carbohydrates (fruits, veggies, tubers, legumes, and whole grains) can actually enhance your results as they’ll top off glycogen stores, which allow you to recover faster and train harder (thereby burning more calories) and they also contain essential vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber!
The take home point here is that you do not need to ditch carbs completely to burn fat or lose weight. You may need to reduce the quantity of carbohydrates (and/or fat) you’re consuming to create a calorie deficit, but by no means do you need to remove them entirely from the diet.
With that in mind, here are our top ten fruits, veggies, and starchy carbohydrates to burn fat and lose weight:
Fruits
- Strawberries
- Blueberries
- Raspberries
- Grapefruit
- Apples
- Peaches
- Honeydew melon
- Cantaloupe
- Oranges
- Avocado
Vegetables
- Broccoli
- Brussels sprouts
- Asparagus
- Mushrooms
- Onions
- Bell peppers
- Summer squash
- Zucchini
- Spinach
- Cabbage
Starchy Carbohydrates
- Oatmeal
- Rice
- Potatoes
- Sweet potatoes
- Beans
- Bananas
- Cream of rice
- Quinoa
- Whole wheat bread
- Grits
Takeaway
At the end of the day, there are no magic foods that make you lose weight if you are not in a calorie deficit. The foods listed above help “burn fat” by helping you achieve and maintain a calorie deficit by increasing satiety and providing a modest boost in energy expenditure.
Coupled with hard training, these foods can help you stick to your diet and achieve the results you want to achieve during your transformation challenge.
For added hunger and craving support, you may find it helpful to use supplements, such as 1UP Appetite Suppressant, as well as our best-selling weight loss support aids, Make Her Lean MAX and Pro Ripped Max.
References
- Halton TL, Hu FB. The effects of high protein diets on thermogenesis, satiety and weight loss: a critical review. J Am Coll Nutr. 2004 Oct;23(5):373-85. doi: 10.1080/07315724.2004.10719381. PMID: 15466943.
- de Castro MBT, Cunha DB, Araujo MC, Bezerra IN, Adegboye ARA, Kac G, Sichieri R. High protein diet promotes body weight loss among Brazilian postpartum women. Matern Child Nutr. 2019 Jul;15(3):e12746. doi: 10.1111/mcn.12746. Epub 2018 Nov 22. PMID: 30381901; PMCID: PMC7198945.
- Waliłko E, Napierała M, Bryśkiewicz M, Fronczyk A, Majkowska L. High-Protein or Low Glycemic Index Diet—Which Energy-Restricted Diet Is Better to Start a Weight Loss Program? Nutrients. 2021; 13(4):1086. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13041086
- Kinsey, A.W.; Cappadona, S.R.; Panton, L.B.; Allman, B.R.; Contreras, R.J.; Hickner, R.C.; Ormsbee, M.J. The Effect of Casein Protein Prior to Sleep on Fat Metabolism in Obese Men. Nutrients 2016, 8, 452. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu8080452
