21 Metabolism-Boosting Foods That Help Burn More Fat

Looking to ignite your metabolism and burn fat more effectively? The foods you eat play a crucial role in boosting your metabolic rate and promoting fat loss.

By incorporating specific foods into your diet, you can enhance your body’s ability to burn calories and shed pounds.

Here, we’ll explore how your metabolism works and 21 powerful foods that are not only delicious but also help speed up your metabolism and aid in weight loss.

Understanding How Your Metabolism Works

Whether you’re trying to lose weight or just be healthier overall, having an efficient metabolism is essential. 

Metabolism is a two-part process consisting of anabolism and catabolism. During anabolism, energy is created and stored, and during catabolism, energy is released.

Your metabolism consists of the way your body processes everything you ingest and works to convert the sugar, protein, and fat from your food and drink into energy. The faster your metabolism, the easier your body can digest while also helping you to burn fat and lose pounds—even when you’re sleeping.

A slow metabolism, however, can hinder your efforts to get and stay healthy. Everyone’s metabolism is slightly different and depends on a combination of factors, including age, genetics, gender, and weight. (And knowing your type is helpful for weight loss!)

That said, what you put in your body can also increase or slow your metabolism.

The next 21 foods are the best options to help boost your metabolism and burn more fat.

1. Almonds

Almonds are a perfect snack that are rich in protein, fiber, and monounsaturated fat, which all work to keep you satisfied. In fact, a study published in the Journal of Nutrition discovered that increasing your protein intake boosts satiety, which works to control your overall calorie intake.

2. Asparagus

This vegetable is not only delicious but is also low in calories while being high in nutrients.

Asparagus is also rich in vitamin B-2, which research has shown can positively affect metabolic rate since it aids in the production of energy by working to metabolize carbohydrates, fats, and proteins.

3. Beans

Beans are chock-full of fiber and resistant starch. A 2004 study found that resistant starch was linked to increased fat metabolism and decreased fat storage.

Because fiber is tough to digest, the body boosts metabolism due to the extra work required.

4. Cruciferous Vegetables

Cabbage, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and cauliflower have high water and fiber content—a combination that promotes satiety while also increasing your body’s ability to burn fat by a whopping 30 percent!

5. Celery

Celery is considered a thermogenic food, also known as a fat-burning food. It also has high levels of calcium.

Studies show that not getting enough calcium can trigger the release of calcitriol, a hormone that causes fat storage.

6. Coconut Oil

Coconut oil contains a unique combination of fatty acids that have powerful effects on metabolism. One study concluded that 15-30 grams of medium chain fats per day boosted energy expenditure by 5 percent, which totals about 120 calories per day.

7. Coffee

Coffee is one of the few substances known to help mobilize fats from fat tissues and boost metabolism. Research has found that caffeine can increase metabolic rate by 3 to 11 percent.

8. Cucumbers

Packed with water, cucumbers are known as a natural diuretic and can help hydrate your body while providing you with plenty of vitamins, nutrients, and fiber. It’s also rich in vitamin C, which has been found to boost metabolism.

9. Berries

Berries are high in fiber, which acts like a sponge to absorb and move fat through the digestive system at a rapid rate, allowing less of it to be absorbed. Blueberries and raspberries, for instance, contain the flavonoid anthocyanin, which has been found to increase metabolism.

10. Ginger

Ginger has long been revered for its medicinal benefits, including its ability to increase metabolism.

One study conducted in 2012 in the journal Metabolism found participants who consumed the spice showed greater levels of thermogenesis and reported lower levels of hunger.

11. Green Tea

Green tea is chock-full of health benefits, making it a popular superfood on many health experts’ lists. It’s also among the easiest ways to boost your metabolism, with one study finding that green tea extract increased the metabolism by 4 percent over a 24-hour period.

12. Turkey

Turkey is a lean meat that is high in protein, allowing the body to build muscle while losing fat as it revs up the metabolism.

Researchers at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center put 16 healthy adults on high-calorie diets with varying amounts of protein and concluded that, while all the participants gained similar amounts of weight, those who ate normal- and high-protein diets stored 45 percent of the excess calories as muscle.

13. Citrus Fruits

Fruits such as lemons and grapefruits have been shown to help burn more and keep metabolism high. This is likely the result of their high levels of vitamin C, which reduces insulin spikes.

14. Melon

Popular melons like honeydew and cantaloupe both taste great and are low in calories, making them a perfect addition to any weight loss program. Melons are also rich in potassium, which is very important for boosting metabolism.

15. Oatmeal

This fat-burning food is well-respected in the health world, as oats are fiber-rich and contain no saturated fat. Oatmeal contains beta-glucan, a soluble fiber that keeps hypertension, insulin resistance, and abnormal levels of fat in the blood at bay.

A paper published in the Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism in 2012 discovered that this form of fiber is beneficial in increasing satiety as well.

Explore even more health benefits of oatmeal.

16. Peppers

The chemical compound capsaicin, found in chili peppers, has been shown to speed up heart rate and metabolism.

Research specifically shows that after eating foods with capsaicin, the body’s metabolic rate can increase by 15 to 20 percent for up to two hours.

17. Spinach

Spinach is rich in magnesium, a crucial mineral for the body. Magnesium is particularly important in regulating blood sugar and metabolism.  Research shows that people who consume the most magnesium are the least likely to develop type 2 diabetes.

To ensure you’re getting enough, watch out for these common signs of magnesium deficiency.

18. Water

The reasons water is beneficial for our health seem infinite, and a speedier metabolism is one of them.

A study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism even found that drinking lots of water increases metabolic rate by 30 percent in healthy men and women.

Here are some easy tips for drinking more water every day.

19. Salmon

Along with being low in saturated fat yet high in protein, salmon is also rich in omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) that boost levels of fat-burning enzymes while lowering levels of fat-storage enzymes. It’s also been found to increase metabolism by as much as 400 calories a day.

20. Apples and Pears

Research has found that apples and pears boost metabolism and speed up weight loss.

Performed by the State University of Rio de Janeiro, a study concluded that women eating three small apples or pears daily lost more weight than those who did not.

21. Soups

Whether it’s a warm soup in the winter or a gazpacho in the summer, soup can fill you up while slimming you down.

In fact, a study on soup done at Penn State University discovered that its combination of liquids and solids can suppress appetite, reducing the intake of excess foods, speeding up metabolism, and burning fat.

Remember, small changes can lead to big results, so start adding these superfoods to your meals today and enjoy the benefits of a faster metabolism!

• Category: Health, Nutrition