What Foods Are In The Abs Diet?

Your most important question when starting a diet is: What kind of food will I be able to eat? The well-rounded Abs Diet includes proteins, carbohydrates and fats and reflects a health-conscious style of eating. It focuses on lean meats, whole grains, fruits, vegetables and nuts to help you lose belly fat. The amount of belly fat a person has is an independent predictor for the likelihood of developing obesity-related diseases, according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. The Abs Diet concentrates on healthy eating to help you lose this dangerous fat.

Power Foods

A central feature of the Abs Diet is what "The Abs Diet" author David Zinczenko calls the Power 12. These foods can be easily remembered with the acronym ABS DIET POWER, which uses the first let of each "power" food: Almonds (and other nuts), Beans (and legumes), Spinach (and green vegetables), Dairy, Instant oatmeal, Eggs, Turkey (and lean meats), Peanut butter, Olive oil, Whole grain (breads and cereals), Extra-protein powder and Raspberries (and other berries). The Abs Diet suggests incorporating two or three of the power foods into your three major meals and at least one into the three snacks the diet recommends.

Smoothies

The Abs Diet also recommends drinking smoothies on a regular basis. An 8 ounce smoothie can be a snack or substitute for a meal, according to Zinczenko. You can mix and match ingredients for flavor, but smoothies usually include low-fat milk and yogurt, ice and flavored or unflavored protein powder. To this base, you can add frozen or fresh fruit, peanut butter, oatmeal or nuts---or any other great-tasting power foods. Mix them all up in the blender and add more ice for extra volume.

Nuts

Nuts---one of the Power 12 foods---are high in protein, fiber and monounsaturated fats, which keep arteries clear and help you feel full. The nuts category also includes pumpkin and sunflower seeds, as well as avocados. The Abs Diet considers almonds the "king of the nuts," and touts them as an excellent snack: about 24 almonds with a glass of water can be enough to suppress your appetite. Incorporate nuts into your meals, too, by adding them to stir fries, omelets or smoothies. For health, use raw nuts that have not been salted or smoked; high sodium contributes to high blood pressure.

Chemical-Free Foods

The Abs Diet advocates eating foods without man-made chemicals such as trans fats and high fructose corn syrup, or HFCS. Those foods are hard to avoid at times, but with stricter regulation and recent public awareness, finding substitutes is becoming easier. The Abs Diet suggests checking labels to see how high up HFCS and trans fats are on the ingredients list. Then, opt for real maple syrup instead of pancake syrup or cereal sweetened with small amounts of real sugar instead of HFCS. If you drink soda, drink the "classic" versions made with sugar. Use olive oil, which has no trans fats, instead of shortening or margarine for cooking, or choose margarine that is free of trans fats.