Weight Loss: Top 9 Vegetables To Include In Your Diet To Burn Belly Fat

Vegetables for weight loss: Eating these vegetables could do wonders for weight loss.

Highlights

Losing belly fat can be very difficult
A healthy diet is crucial for burning pesky belly fat
Vegetables like spinach, broccoli, asparagus reduce belly fat

Belly fat isn't just an eyesore and severely impacts our self-image as well as our confidence, moreover, it is harmful for health. Some scientific studies and research have pointed towards belly fat as being an indication of increased risk of diabetes, heart diseases and other complications. A lot of people struggle to lose the pesky fat that refuses to leave our bellies and with our lifestyles becoming more and more sedentary, our waistlines can only be expected to increase. But, getting rid of belly fat isn't as much about doing crunches every day, as it is about eating healthy. There are some healthy foods that have natural belly fat burning abilities and consuming these foods can help you melt away that fat from your abdomen and achieve your goals naturally. Most of these foods pack a rich range of antioxidants that help boost overall health too. Instead of investing in 'empty' calories, it is a good time to revamp your diet and think about foods that are not only low in calories but are a bundle of nutrition too.

Vegetables and fruits have a lot of fibre and are full of nutrition like essential minerals and vitamins that may help your body improve metabolism and subsequently burn belly fat. Including these in your diet may help you not just in your weight loss journey, but also to live a long and healthy life. The phrase "abs are made in the kitchen" is not an exaggeration and including these fat-burning veggies in your diet will help you reach your body goals faster. Vegetables are brimming with fibre, which help to fill you up. Since fibre takes a while to digest and hence, prevent you from overeating. Local, seasonal vegetables are also a good source of antioxidants, minerals and vitamins that are essential for a healthy lifestyle.

Here Are Some Of The Best Vegetables That You Can Include In Your Diet To Lose Belly Fat Quickly:

1. Spinach And Other Leafy Greens

Spinach and other leafy green vegetables like kale, lettuce, etc. are great for burning belly fat and are very nutritious as well. There have been some studies done on the subject of the fat burning capabilities of spinach and the very healthy veggie has come out a winner in this category. Add a little cooked or blanched spinach to your breakfast or lunch to set your body on track for some major fat burn.

Also Read: 5 Wonderful Benefits of Spinach You Never Knew

^{Veggies to burn belly fat: Spinach is low in calories}

2. Mushrooms

Mushrooms are delicious and loved by vegetarians and non-vegetarians, alike. They have even started making appearance as an ingredient in coffees to increase their nutritional value. Mushrooms have been known to promote weight loss and fat burn by regulating the levels of glucose in the blood. Added bonus? They're rich in protein and can help you increase your metabolism, resulting in fat loss.

Also Read: Weight Loss: Eating This Way Can Trick Your Brain Into Feeling Full!

^{Veggies to burn belly fat: Mushrooms are rich in protein}

3. Cauliflower And Broccoli

Apart from high-quality fibre and a host of health-boosting minerals and vitamins, broccoli contains phytochemicals that help enhance fat loss in the body. The same goes for cauliflower. Apart from being filling, cauliflower helps fight bloating and contains phytonutrient sulforaphane, as well as good amounts of folate and vitamin C.

Also Read: 10 Best Cauliflower Recipes

Broccoli contains phytochemicals that help enhance fat loss in the body.

4. Chillies

A lot of health freaks swear by chilli peppers for burning fat. Recent studies have demonstrated that the heat generated by consumption of chillies helps utilise more calories and essentially oxidises layers of fat in the body. But, if you don't like the burn of the chilli peppers, all non-hot varieties of the fruit may also do the trick, as they contain 'capsaicin,' which is responsible for burning fat.

Also Read: 12 Unbelievable Health Benefits of Green Chillies: Zero Calories, But Packed With Vitamins!

^{Veggies to burn belly fat: The heat from green chillies increases metabolism}

5. Pumpkin

Low in calories and high in fibre, pumpkin is one of the best vegetables to include in your weight loss diet. Whether you like to blanch it and eat it in salads or add pumpkin powder to your smoothies and vegetable drinks, pumpkin can help you reach your body goals quicker.

Also Read: 10 Most Cooked Pumpkin Recipes

^{Veggies to burn belly fat: Pumpkin can be eaten with salads and soups}

6. Carrots

Carrots are one of the best low-calorie vegetables to include in your weight loss diet. Carrots are rich in both soluble and insoluble fibre and, hence, fit the bill perfectly when it comes to healthy weight loss. Blend it with other fruits or vegetables to make a healthy, nutrient-rich fat burn juice, or stir-fry it along with your meat dishes to make this veggie work its magic on you.

Also Read: Are Raw Carrots More Nutritious Than Cooked Carrots?

^{Veggies to burn belly fat: Carrots have almost no calories and are rich in fibre}

7. Beans

Beans are one of the healthiest foods you can consume, but they are specifically great for belly fat loss as they are rich in soluble fibre, which fights inflammation that cause belly fat accumulation. Some studies have linked the consumption of beans to a reduced risk of obesity.

Consuming beans may help reduce the risk of obesity.

8. Asparagus

Asparagus isn't as popular a veggie as others on this list, but it's a wonder food when it comes to burning fat and slimming down. Asparagus contains the chemical asparagine, which is an alkaloid that acts directly on cells and breaks down fat. You can roast asparagus and directly consume it with dips or stir-fry them along with other mains.

9. Cucumbers

Cucumbers are good for detoxifying your system and due to the presence of water and fibre, they fill you up as well, eliminating the need for you to eat more often. They are regularly used in making fat burning juices, as they are very low in calories and, hence, can be consumed as a healthy mid-meal snack too.

Also Read: Calories In Cucumber: 4 Interesting Ways To Use Cucumber In Your Diet

Negative calorie foods for weight loss: 100 grams of cucumber give you only 16 calories.

Other than eating a healthy and clean diet, exercise is also important for effecting belly fat loss and you just can't skip the hustle if you want to see results. At the same time, only exercising and not taking care of your diet is also not going to bring about any change. It's also important to try and reduce your stress levels, get adequate sleep and drink enough water, as well as get regular checkups for hormonal imbalances, in order to reduce belly fat and keep it off. It is time to stop procastinating and start making some actual efforts.

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.