Boosting metabolism can lead to a loss of body fat. For many, however, it’s hard to find foods and methods that can increase metabolism. Not all “fat burning” supplements are healthy and are deemed ineffective and unsafe. Luckily there are many beverages and healthy foods that can boost metabolism and lead to fat loss. We also discuss different foods to eat on the keto diet, which is a high fat, low card diet in the Body Reboot book. Below are 8 foods that help burn food.

Celery

Celery is very low carb, and according to Men’s Journal, you burn calories while digesting celery, which is pretty cool. See why else celery makes an excellent and healthy snack:

Celery is probably the most notorious “negative-calorie” food (that’s not actually a thing, by the way). What’s meant by the commonly used term? “There’s this thing called the ‘thermogenic effect of food’—in short, your body burns calories digesting the food you eat,” says Angela Lemond, R.D.N., a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Opens a New Window. “But it really varies by person and genetics.” So, yes, it could take more energy to digest than you’re actually getting from the veggie, which is where its reputation as a negative- or zero-calorie food comes from.

Broccoli

Another vegetable that burns fat, mainly because it has a ton of fiber. Slice reveals how fiber works in your favor in regards to losing weight and burning more fat:

Broccoli is a superfood that is loaded in fiber.  Since fiber is not digestible, it can’t be stored as fat in the body. The body burns calories while trying to break down fiber and then eventually removes it through waste. Broccoli is also a potent detoxifier and helps keep the digestive system healthy, strong and regular.

Fatty Fish

Fatty fish has a lot of benefits, and according to Healthline, it may even help you lose weight! Eating fatty fish has other benefits as well, such as decreasing your heart disease risk. Read what else Healthline says about consuming a healthy amount of fish.

Fatty fish is delicious and incredibly good for you.

Salmon, herring, sardines, mackerel and other oily fish contain omega-3 fatty acids, which have been shown to reduce inflammation and decrease heart disease risk.

In addition, omega-3 fatty acids may help you lose body fat.

In a six-week controlled study in 44 adults, those who took fish oil supplements lost an average of 1.1 pounds (0.5 kilograms) of fat and experienced a drop in cortisol, a stress hormone that's associated with fat storage.

What's more, fish is an excellent source of high-quality protein. Digesting protein leads to greater feelings of fullness and increases metabolic rate significantly more than digesting fat or carbs.

To boost fat loss and protect heart health, include a minimum of 3.5 ounces (100 grams) of fatty fish in your diet at least twice a week.

Chia Seeds

Chia seeds are packed full of healthy fats and also happen to burn fat, according to Slice.

Chia seeds are nutritional overachievers because they contain protein, fiber, antioxidants, and omega-3 fatty acids. The soluble fiber in chia seeds helps the stomach feel full while curbing hunger and reducing cravings. The fiber also helps to regulate blood sugar and deter insulin from spiking.

Avocado

Avocado tastes delicious, burns fat, and many nutritional benefits. See why else Slice recommends avocado as a powerful fat-burning food.

Avocados are loaded in good, healthy fats that provide unique benefits. It’s not necessarily fat that makes you fat, it’s actually sugar and high glycemic foods, so no need to be afraid of the all-mighty avocado. Avocado is a natural source of L-carnitine, which helps the body produce energy and burn fat. They are also rich in fiber allowing the body to feel satisfied and minimize hunger.

CBS further discusses how avocado can improve your health and melt fat away:

Merely half of one avocado contains 10 grams of healthy mono-saturated fats, which stop the blood sugar spikes that tell your body to store fat around your midsection.

Not only do healthy fats in avocado help thwart belly bloat, they also help our bodies better absorb carotenoids, cancer-fighting compounds found in colorful fruits and veggies like tomatoes, carrots, spinach and winter squash. In fact, people who ate salads with avocado had 15 times higher absorption of carotenoids, a study from The Ohio State University at Columbus found.

Kale

Men’s Journal also reminds us just how healthy kale is and why it’s one food item that’s not only healthy, but an excellent veggie to eat to lower your daily calories.

Kale has found its way onto every healthy-food Opens a New Window.  list, and it would be wrong to leave it off of this one. “We find that people who have a low intake of these types of vegetables have higher body weights consistently,” Lemond says. “People who say they don’t like vegetables don’t realize they’re putting themselves at risk, because incorporating these foods tends to naturally lower total caloric intake for the day.”

Coffee

You may or may not have heard that coffee can help you burn fat, and that is true! If you’re looking for a pick me up that can melt away fat, coffee can help with that. Healthline also tells us what other benefits coffee provides:

Coffee is one of the most popular beverages worldwide.

It's a great source of caffeine, which can enhance mood and improve mental and physical performance.

Moreover, it can help you burn fat.

In a small study including nine people, those who took caffeine an hour before exercise burned nearly twice as much fat and were able to exercise 17% longer than the non-caffeine group.

Research has shown that caffeine increases metabolic rate by an impressive 3–13%, depending on the amount consumed and individual response.

In one study, people took 100 mg of caffeine every two hours for 12 hours. Lean adults burned an average of 150 extra calories and formerly obese adults burned 79 extra calories during the study time period.

To get the fat-burning benefits of caffeine without the potential side effects, such as anxiousness or insomnia, aim for 100–400 mg per day. This is the amount found in about 1–4 cups of coffee, depending on its strength.

Healthline mentioned a study that stated that the people who took caffeine an hour before working out burned more fat. American Journal Clinical Nutrition discusses the research more in detail below:

Single-dose oral administration of 100 mg caffeine increased the resting metabolic rate of both lean and postobese human volunteers by 3-4% (p less than 0.02) over 150 min and improved the defective diet-induced thermogenesis observed in the postobese subjects. Measurements of energy expenditure (EE) in a room respirometer indicate that repeated caffeine administration (100 mg) at 2-h intervals over a 12-h day period increased the EE of both subject groups by 8-11% (p less than 0.01) during that period but had no influence on the subsequent 12-h night EE. The net effect was a significant increase (p less than 0.02) in daily EE of 150 kcal in the lean volunteers and 79 kcal in the postobese subjects. Caffeine at commonly consumed doses can have a significant influence on energy balance and may promote thermogenesis in the treatment of obesity.

Almonds

Almonds taste delicious and make a healthy quick snack. They also happen to be a great food option for burning fat! Juicing for Health reveals more below:

When you feel like munching, reach for tasty roasted almonds instead of that packet of chips. Almonds will help you to maintain a very low calorie diet. They don’t contain harmful fats, only health-promoting fats—monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats—the same type of fats found in olive oil. Recently, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition pointed out that both these types of fats satisfies the cells and help prevent overeating. Eating almonds regularly is helpful for lowering the risks of heart diseases. Almonds have a high level of magnesium that is needed to build muscle. The more muscles you have, the more belly fats you burn.

These surprising foods can melt away fat, which is why you should implement them into your diet. Foods that have excellent nutritional value and melt fat away are the type of foods you want to eat. If you’re ready to focus on your health and eat other foods that can help you lose weight, learn more about the keto diet, which is a high-fat, low carb diet that burns fat! At the time of writing this post, we're giving away free copies of the Body Reboot book because we desire to help people make healthier decisions! Cover the cost of shipping, and we’ll send you our FREE book. Head to this page TODAY to see if there are any remaining copies.

Sources: Men’s Journal, Healthline, NCBI: American Journal Nutrition Journal, Slice, CBS News, Juicing for Health