A healthy lifestyle is more than fitting into one size smaller jeans. Instead, it’s about having healthy food and a leading a healthy lifestyle. According to research, people who have belly fat are more prone to health issues like type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.
Of course, there’s no one particular waist number or figure that suggests you’re healthy. Depending on age, gender, height, weight, and other health issues, every person has his/her requirements on how much belly fat they have to lose. Hence changing the abdominal obesity. Nevertheless, avoiding some foods and incorporating some will make sure you shred those extra kilos and fat that have been stored around your belly for quite some time.
Best Diet for Belly Fat
Today, we are going to give you a diet(1) plan that will help you reduce your belly fat. Follow this diet plan for at least ten days to see a significant change in your belly fat. These meals and foods are easy to make and take less preparation time. Let’s get started.
Breakfast:
One cup of oatmeal, one apple, and one cup of green tea
How to prepare oatmeal?
- Take four tablespoons of oats and lightly roast it on a slow flame for two minutes.
- Now, add half a cup of skimmed milk and half a cup of water to the oats and bring it to boil.
- Chop five to ten almonds and add them to the oats.
- Let it sit for a couple of minutes.
- Adjust the consistency according to your taste.
- If required, add one teaspoon of sugar-free (Do not add regular sugar) or honey.
- You can also add apple slices for garnish.
Notes:
— Oats(2) are rich in fiber, magnesium, phosphorus, and zinc.
— If you are lactose intolerant or allergic to nuts, you can add plain water and avoid almonds.
— Do not have flavored or masala oats as they contain a lot of preservatives and hence are not a good nutritional source.
— 1 cup of oats= 16 tablespoons
Lunch:
One cup of boiled black chickpeas, one cup of cucumber, and one cup of green tea
[Also Read: Exercises for Belly Fat]
How to prepare black chickpeas?
- Take a cup of black chickpeas or your favorite legume and soak them in water overnight.
- Drain the overnight soaked water. Add three cups of water and boil the black chickpeas in the cooker for 20 mins on a medium flame.
- Remove the chickpeas once the cooker is cooled down.
- Drain the extra water in the cooker.
- Now, add a pinch of salt and black pepper to the black chickpeas and mix well.
- Add one cup of cucumber to the black chickpeas. Your lunch is now ready!
[Also Read: How to Lose Belly Fat]
Snacks:
One cup of watermelon or papaya
Dinner:
One cup of brown rice and one green tea
How to prepare brown rice
- Take 60 grams of brown rice(3)
- and rinse it thoroughly to remove extra starch.
- Now, add 120 milliliters of water to the brown rice and cook.
- Take a pan and add two teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil or ghee.
- Now, add two tablespoons of chopped french beans, two tablespoons of chopped carrot, and two tablespoons of green peas.
- Cook for five to ten minutes.
- Add a pinch of Himalayan salt (Replace your table salt with Himalayan pink salt) and red chili powder according to your taste and cook for two minutes.
- Now, add brown rice to the vegetable mixture and mix well. Make sure not to mash the rice.
- Sprinkle some chopped coriander and mint leaves.
Notes: Brown rice is rich in fiber, manganese, vitamins B1 (thiamine) and B6, selenium, etc. Brown rice reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes.
[Also Read: Foods That Can Burn Belly Fat]
What are the Foods to Avoid in the diet to Reduce Belly Fat?
1. Say a big “No” to sugar/sweetened foods and drinks
Sugar contains half fructose and half glucose. When it comes to fructose, the only body part of the human body that can metabolize fructose is liver. When you consume a lot of foods or drinks that contain vast amounts of sugar, the liver gets burdened with fructose quantity, and it will be forced to convert that into fat. Not just fat, several studies say that over-consumption of sugar could deteriorate metabolic health.
2. Cut all those extra carbs from your daily diet
Whether it’s all-purpose flour, salted butter, white bread, or white rice, limiting your carbs on an everyday basis will result in the reduction of your belly fat. Instead, you can opt for brown rice, unsalted butter, brown bread, etc. to make sure you are on a low-carb diet.
[Also Read: Diet For Belly Fat]
3. Avoid packaged foods
Nothing good or healthy can be derived from packaged foods. All those time-killing foods like chips, chocolates, and other ready-to-eat products contain a lot of preservatives and added sugars. Always look at the ingredients list behind the packaged product to see what you are eating.
You don’t need a calorie calculator or a kitchen scale to tell you how much to eat; all you need is some determination and some information on what to eat and what not to eat. Always check the ingredients list behind the product before buying the product. This way, you will know what you are eating. After all, reducing belly fat not only ensures that you have a smaller waist but also helps in preventing severe health issues in the future.
FAQs
1. Does apple cider vinegar help in weight loss?
There are a lot of claims by people that say apple cider vinegar helps in weight loss. But too much of it can cause stomach problems. So make sure to consult your doctor before consuming it.
2. Can we eat eggs during the diet?
Of course, eggs are a great source of protein, vitamin D, B6, and B12, selenium, and many more. But egg yolks contain more fat and calories than whites. So try to avoid egg yolks in the diet for belly fat
