The best way to achieve a flat stomach is through a healthy, low-calorie diet and plenty of exercise. But if you want to speed the process along, try incorporating some of these foods into your meals. Not only do they relieve water retention, but they also help to stave off cravings, boost your metabolism and keep you feeling fuller for longer. Bonus!
1) Almonds
Not only are almonds packed full of skin-boosting vitamin E and protein, but their high fibre content stops you feeling hungry. In 2007, researchers at Purdue University also reported that – despite the fact they are relatively high in calories – almonds themselves do not contribute to belly fat. Swop out your usual mid-morning snack for a handful and see if it makes a difference.
2) Peppermint
Peppermint is known for its potent healing and calming digestive properties, so if you’re looking to slim down your stomach, it makes sense to start including it in your diet. The easiest way to do this is to drink it in tea form, so pick up a box from your local supermarket (organic if possible) and try drinking three cups a day. Great for clearing the skin, too!
3) Leafy Greens
The quickest way to flatten a stubborn stomach? Include a portion of leafy green vegetables at every meal. Kale, spinach and romaine lettuce are all extremely low in calories, full of fibre and offer several vital vitamins and minerals that help to ease water retention without causing the bloating and discomfort that some other vegetables might do.
4) Oats
Oats are filling, which makes it hard to believe that they can help you lose weight. But eating a portion in the morning for breakfast as part of a low-calorie diet is a great way to provide your body with slow-release, natural energy throughout the day, which keeps you feeling fuller for longer and can even lower your cholesterol.
5) Olive Oil
Mad but true – fat CAN help you to lose weight. Poly unsaturated fats like those found in olive oil can stave off hunger pains, while olive oil itself contains a naturally-occurring chemical called oleic acid, which aids the breakdown of excess fats in the body.
6) Beans
Each tiny bean is packed with nutrients, including protein and fibre, while remaining low in calories and full of slow-release energy. This means you’ll feel fuller, while the high protein content will help firm up your muscles and keep you toned. Swap out burgers for burritos, and beef chilli for bean chilli.
7) Green Tea
Addicted to your builder’s brew? It may be time for a change. Swopping to green tea has been found to assist the body in flushing out excess fluids, helping to calm bloating around the stomach caused by water retention. What’s more, it has been found to speed up the metabolism, which can aid the burning of excess fat in the body.
8) Kelp
Kelp or seaweed is prized for its high levels of iodine which helps to create the thyroid hormones in your body. These regulate your metabolic rate – the rate in which your body burns fat. It also contains several minerals which have been found to assist the breakdown of belly fat and relieve water retention. Source it out in Japanese supermarkets or pick up from health food stores in a supplement form.
9) Apple Cider Vinegar
If you’re looking for a quick fix body detox, try adding a few capfuls of apple cider vinegar to your meals. It acts as a digestive tonic, helping to slay off harmful bacteria in the intestines, flush out toxins and relieve water retention around the stomach. Try adding some to vegetables during cooking or as a dressing over salad.
10) Cranberry Juice
As well as high levels of antioxidizing vitamin C, cranberry juice has fantastic diuretic properties. This means that it encourages the body to get rid of excess fluids through excretion (going to the toilet). Swap out your morning OJ for a glass of sugar-free, all natural cranberry instead.
11) Asparagus
Asparagus is often considered a luxury vegetable, and not without good reason. Each spear is packed full of vitamins A, B-complex, C and E, as well as containing high levels of skin-clearing zinc and potassium, which assists the removal of excess fluids from the body. Asparagus has long been used to treat inflammations such as arthritis and rheumatism too.
12) Tomatoes
Delicious, full of antioxidants, AND they help you to lose weight? Tomatoes are definitely among our favourite fat-fighting foods. Tomatoes have been found to reduce inflammation and water retention in the body, as well as reversing leptin resistance. Leptin is a type of protein which helps to regulate metabolic rate and appetite, so our bodies rely on it to shed those extra pounds.
13) Garlic
It might make your breath smell a bit, but each clove of garlic is packed not just with toxin-battling antioxidants, but also a naturally occurring chemical called allicin. When digested, allicin reacts with the blood to create a product capable of killing off many harmful bacteria and viruses that your body may be harbouring – including in the digestive tract. A healthy gut it essential for achieve a flatter tummy – try adding a few raw cloves to your food just before serving to get the most out of it.
14) Chillies
Adding chilli to your food is a great way to boost your metabolism, which helps you to burn fat faster. A single chilli pepper also contains a full day’s supply of beta carotene (which is great for maintaining healthy skin, hair and nails) and twice your recommended daily allowance of vitamin C – an essential antioxidant that helps to battle toxins and foreign bodies in the blood stream.
15) Bananas
Contrary to what some people believe, bananas contribute to weight loss NOT gain. Eating a banana is not just a great way to provide your body with skin-healing zinc, brain-powering slow release energy and filling fibre, but can also help you to relieve water retention thanks to the high levels of potassium they contain.
16) Melon
Half a melon contains almost twice as much potassium as bananas do, making it a low-calorie, high-antioxidant alternative that can aid the removal of excess fluids around the body. Cantaloupe melon also offers twice the recommended dose of vitamin C too, which will help to support your immune system and keep your skin in tip-top condition.
17) Cucumber
Believe it or not, cucumbers are actually a member of the melon family, and therefore have very similar slimming properties. It is a natural diuretic, which means consuming it eases water retention and bloating in the body. Why not make a slimming watercress, bean, mint and cucumber salad for a powerful tummy flattening lunch?
18) Watercress
Watercress is jammed full of nutrients, including vitamin B1, B2, B6, C and E, as well as minerals manganese, carotene and potassium. This makes watercress a powerful cleansing agent, improving the digestion and nourishing the skin, while its diuretic properties help to flush out toxins and excess fluids. Watercress is also a fabulous source of iodine, which helps to boost your metabolism, so it makes sense to include it in your diet if you’re striving to achieve a flat stomach.
19) Fennel
This liquorice-flavoured root vegetable is packed with vitamin C, potassium, and manganese and has long been used as a remedy for digestive problems. Thanks in part to its high dietary fibre content, it promotes healthy digestion, reducing swelling in the body, flushing out toxins and excess fluids. Fennel tea can also help to stave off hunger pangs, so pick up a box from your local health food shop and get slurping.
20) Berries
Tiny but mighty, berries are stuffed full of antioxidants and fibre – just one cup of raspberries contains a whopping 6g. Plus, they’re low in calories too. Add a handful into a healthy smoothy or sprinkle over your breakfast cereal.
21) Cinnamon
A sprinkling of cinnamon could be all that’s standing in the way of you and those washboard abs. The sweet spice helps to regulate soaring blood sugar levels by stimulating insulin production. There is some evidence to suggest that cinnamon extract also makes fat cells more responsive to insulin, which means they’re much less likely to hold on to excess energy, and far more likely to burn existing fat stores instead.
22) Lemongrass
A key ingredient in many south east Asian dishes, lemongrass is thought to have an anti-inflammatory effect on the digestive system, as well as improving blood circulation. It is also thought to aid the body in dealing with excessive fats in the body.
23) Ginger
Ever wondered why your sushi comes with a side of ginger? The spicy root has been used for centuries as a digestive aid, because it possesses anti-inflammatory, anti-nausea and antioxidant properties. It also contains an enzyme called zingibain, which helps digest proteins.
24) Artichoke
Artichokes are rich in fibre, thus helping to speed the digestive process up and relieve bloating in the abdomen, while containing relatively few calories. Artichokes are often recommended by nutritionists for the treatment of digestive disorders, like IBS, too.
25) Brown Rice
If you’re looking to flatten and tone your belly, you should aim to eat a complex carbohydrate that is rich in muscle-strengthening protein and vitamins, like brown rice. It’s better than white rice, because it contains a rich supply of energizing B vitamins, which could help you burn calories faster.
26) Peanuts
Peanuts get a bad rep in the diet world, but eating a small handful as a snack in between meals could stop you from overeating, and give you the protein you need to carve a lean, flat stomach. Peanuts are rich in omega 3 fatty acids and fibre, as well as skin-conditioning vitamin E.
27) Avocado
There is a reason why guacamole exists beyond it being darn tasty! Avocado is often paired with spicy food because it soothes the digestive system after it is irritated by the heat. Avocado also contains potassium, which helps to regulate fluid balance, as well as magnesium, which prevents constipation.
28) Quinoa
Did you know that, when she wants to get into shape for a shoot fast, Kate Moss eats quinoa instead of cereal for breakfast? That’s because it’s what is known as a complete grain, combining protein, fibre, B vitamins and complex carbohydrates all in one. Eating grains like quinoa will help to boost your metabolism, and burn belly fat faster, as will…
29) Couscous
Couscous, another nutritious grain. Opt for wholemeal, rather than yellow couscous, as it will keep blood sugar levels at a steady rate by releasing energy more slowly.
30) Sunflower Seeds
Sunflower seeds contain a bountiful supply of dietary fibre, which could fill you up for longer and keep sweet cravings at bay, while easing digestion at the same time. They are packed full of antioxidant vitamin E, too, which is essential for skin health, as well as protein and complex carbs.
31) Pistachios
If you’re looking to trim down your belly, then pistachios, together with almonds, are one of the best nuts you can snack on. They are lower in calories and fat than most other nuts, while remaining high in protein, fibre and other essential vitamins and minerals.
32) Natural Yoghurt
Pro-biotic, live natural yoghurt can help to relieve bloating and discomfort in the stomach, because it contains live bacteria that aid digestion. Opt for a low fat option to cut down on saturated animal fats, too.
33) Mackerel
Eating plenty of oily fish is a good idea if you want to tone up your tummy, because it is high in protein and low in ‘bad’ or saturated animal fats. It is also a rich source of omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, which are crucial to proper brain function. Slimmer AND smarter? Sounds good to us…
34) Salmon
Salmon, much like mackerel, is a good source of lean protein, and a rich source of omega 3 and 6 fatty acids. Grill or steam with a bit of lemon and serve with asparagus for a powerful belly-flattening meal.
35) Papaya
Papaya contains a naturally-occurring enzyme called papain, which aids the digestion of protein. It can also help to break down food faster, easing bloating and flattening out your belly in no time.
36) Pineapple
Much like its tropical cousin, pineapple boasts a digestive enzyme that helps to ease bloating, settle your stomach, and even relieve heartburn. It’s high in natural fruit sugars, or fructose, which could stave off sweet cravings.
37) Black Pepper
A simple way to prevent bloating and discomfort after eating? Add a bit of freshly ground pepper to your meal. It’s a natural digestive aid, and helps to relieve bloating at the same time.
38) Celery
While it is a myth that celery is a minus-calorie food (that it takes more calories to digest it than it does to eat it) it is still a detoxing stem that can reduce water retention and help to purge your body of toxins.
39) Lentils
Eating a couple of portions of lentils a week could help you to flatten your tummy, because they’re a cost-effective way to pack in a lot of different stomach-strengthening nutrients at once, including fibre, complex carbohydrates and proteins.
40) Peppers
Red peppers, like their hotter chilli cousins, are thought to have a soothing effect on digestion, while giving the metabolism a kick in the process. As a sweet vegetable packed with vitamin C, too, they can also fend off sweet cravings when they strike – the perfect weapon against belly fat.
