The Best Fat Burning Foods

Eat the following 15 fat burning foods regularly, and you will lose fat almost effortlessly. A powerful way to lose weight is to make healthy eating automatic. The way I achieved that was by shopping and eating primarily from this list.

Then I'll give you three more foods as revealed in scientific research, for a total of 15 fat burning foods to eat if you want to lose the most weight.

Note: The top 15 fat burning foods are healthy and all-natural fat burners. If possible, avoid fat-burning "pills" which may have unpleasant side effects.

The 12 Abs-Diet Power Foods

1. Almonds and other nuts

Nuts, and almonds in particular, help suppress your appetite. When you're not as hungry, you eat fewer calories and will therefore lose weight. According to the Abs Diet, eating two ounces of almonds (about 24 nuts) is enough to decrease your appetite. Besides eating nuts whole, you can add chopped nuts to salads, plain peanut butter, cereal, yogurt, or ice cream.

2. Beans and other legumes

Due to their high fiber content and low calories, beans of all types are a fat burning food. The fiber makes you feel full so you consumer fewer calories with the rest of your meal.

They also contain high amounts of protein and iron which also help with fat loss. The best beans are soybeans, pinto beans, chickpeas, navy beans, black beans, white beans, kidney beans, and lima beans. I usually include a handful of cooked beans in the salad that I eat each day in place of a meal.

3. Spinach and other green vegetables

Similar to beans, green vegetables are low in calories and high in fiber. They help you feel full, so you eat less. Green vegetables that are also very high in vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients include spinach, broccoli, Romaine lettuce, arugula, watercress, endive, and mustard greens.

4. Dairy (fat-free or low-fat milk, yogurt, cheese)

Calcium is a fat burning substance, perhaps one of the most powerful fat burners in the 15 fat burning foods list, and it is found in abundance in dairy foods. A study at the University of Tennessee found that dieters who consumed higher amounts of calcium lost twice as much weight as the others.

Calcium not only breaks down body fat, it also helps prevent fat formation. Obviously, you want to consume only low-fat products such as skim or 1% milk, cheese, yogurt, and so on.

5. Instant Oatmeal (unsweetened, unflavored)

Oatmeal is another fantastic source of fiber, helping you to feel full longer. Not only that, a study at Penn State showed that oatmeal stabilizes blood sugar levels longer than most other foods. That means you don't get hungry again for a long time.

My first meal of the day is usually a small bowl of instant "Quick Oats" oatmeal, unsweetened, or with just a bit of Splenda or Stevia sweetener. I make it with non-fat milk or sometimes just water.

6. Eggs

It used to be thought that you should avoid eggs due to their high cholesterol content. But research now indicates that eating one or two eggs a day will not raise your cholesterol at all. On the plus side, eggs have the highest biological value of protein than any food.

This means that eggs support your body's need for protein, helping you to build muscle that in turn helps you burn fat. Eggs are also high in vitamin B12, a nutrient essential for breaking down fat in your body.

7.  Turkey, chicken, other lean meat and fish

It takes more energy to digest protein than carbohydrates or fat. That means high-protein foods are natural fat burners. Add more of the lean varieties of turkey, ham, beef, and "fatty" fish to your diet. I know, it sounds odd that you should eat "fatty" fish to burn fat. But salmon and other so-called fatty fish contain high levels of omega-3 "fatty acids" which are natural fat burners.

A study in the British Journal of Nutrition found that omega-3 fatty acids reduce fat mass in your body, through an unknown mechanism. Other research shows that fatty fish makes you less hungry and more satisfied, so you eat fewer calories later in the day. Besides salmon, other fish high in omega-3 include mackerel, canned tuna, and herring.

Some nutritionist also mentions flaxseed, which also is high in omega-3 and can help burn fat. So technically flaxseed could be a separate entry in this 15 fat burning foods list. Flaxseed was found by the British Journal of Nutrition to also contain "lignans". Lignans are a natural fat burning nutrient that caused women in one study to have lower body mass index and lower overall fat. You may be able to find flaxseed at your local health store. I use Bob's Red Mill organic brown flaxseed which I order online through Amazon.com.

8. Peanut butter (All-natural, sugar-free)

Probably the most surprising of the 15 fat burning foods, peanut butter can help you lose weight. Eat it in moderation and only natural peanut butter that doesn't have added sugar.

According to the Abs Diet, peanut butter is high in healthy monosaturated fats that help muscles grow and burn fat. Limit yourself to three tablespoons or less a day.

9. Olive oil

A study at the University of Illinois found that diners who had olive oil before a meal ate 25% fewer calories than others who didn't. Olive oil helps you lose fat because the high level of monosaturated fats it contains burn fat and control food cravings. Cook with it, use it on salads.

10. Whole grain breads and cereals

The fiber in whole-grain breads and cereals helps keep your insulin levels low. This prevents your body your body from storing fat.

Stop using white bread products that have all the fiber and nutrients removed. For fat loss, stick with "whole grain" or "whole wheat" only. Brown rice is also healthy, fat burning, and if you use Uncle Bens rice like I do, easy to prepare.

11. Extra-protein (whey) powder

Whey protein powder has the highest amount of protein with the least amound of calories of any food you can find. Whey protein is probably my favorite of the 15 fat burning foods, because it is easy to use and also helps build muscle.

These days it's available at major grocery stores in the Vitamins section. Or you can order it from Amazon.com, as I usually do (Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey Gold Standard, Double Rich Chocolate, 5 Pound).

Whey protein, like all forms of protein, burns fat because your body has to use a lot more energy to digest protein than other nutrients. Best use for whey protein is to blend it in a smoothie, which I do several times a week as a meal-replacement shake.

12. Raspberries, and other berries

The fiber and pectin found in berries helps you feel full longer. So you lose fat by decreasing the total amount of calories you would eat otherwise. Berries do contain a lot of natural sugar. So try to not overeat them.

Okay, so those are the first 12 of the 15 fat burning foods you should be eating. Let's keep going!

Just Three More for a Total of 15 Fat Burning Foods

So far I've only mentioned the 12 power foods described in the Abs Diet. Let's add three more important ones to make 15 fat burning foods.

The following foods have also been shown by scientific research to encourage more fat loss, either by directly reducing the fat in your body, by decreasing appetite, or by increasing the rate at which you burn calories.

13. Green Tea

As I mention on my Lose Weight with Green Tea page, green tea contains special chemicals called "catechins" that help you burn fat. According to a Journal of Nutrition study, catechins do this in two ways. They not only increase your metabolism (so you burn more calories even when sitting still), but they also increase the rate at which your liver burns fat.

The recommended amount of green tea for good fat burning effect is four to six cups per day. Instead of sipping from a tea cup, I just fill up an empty 24 oz. water bottle with green tea and drink from that all day, refilling once.

14. Vinegar

Recent studies have shown that vinegar activates enzymes in your body that break down fat. I was glad to learn this, as for a long time I have only used vinegar and olive oil as the dressing on my salads.

So not only am I avoiding fat by not using a high-calorie, high-fat dressing like French or Blue Cheese, the dressing I've been using has actually been increasing my fat burning rate due to the vinegar. I use distilled white vinegar which can be found at any grocery store, but red-wine vinegar or other varieties should have the same effect.

15. Apples and Pears

These two fruits contain very high levels of a fat burning chemical called "flavonoids". The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that the women in one study who often ate apples and pears increased their rate of energy use (calorie burning) and the rate at which they burned fat. So be sure to add green tea, vinegar, and apples and pears to your shopping list.

There you have it! On this single page are the top 15 fat burning foods as promised. Now it's your job to include these foods in your diet. Start by eating at least two servings of each kind every week. Not only will you burn more fat, you'll also be on the road to better health. The 15 fat burning foods not only burn fat, they contain important vitamins and minerals, fiber, anti-oxidants, and other nutrients necessary for a healthy mind and body.