The idea that certain foods burn fat sounds appealing to any body who loves to eat but who is still committed to losing weight. The thermic effect of foods, which relates to the percentage of the calories contained in the food that are required to digest the food, varies considerable from one food to the next. Fats require but 2 percent to 3 percent of their caloric value for the digestion process, while proteins have the highest thermic effect, requiring up to 30 percent of the provided calories for the digestion process, according to BurnTheFat.com. Fruits and vegetables have a thermic effect of about 15 percent. Although fruits and vegetables have a lower thermic effect than proteins, they contain fewer calories in the first place, so they offer fewer overall calories after consumption.
Salad Greens
Salads made with greens such as spinach, romain, ragula, Bosten, leaf or iceberg lettuce are low in calories and filled with fiber. Fiber slows digestions, cleans the digestive tract, and helps satiate you. Greens are so low in calories, if you chew well, and eat slowly, you might very well lose the calories they give you simply by sitting there, considering that sitting and watching TV for an hour burns around 80 calories. For example, three cups of shredded romaine lettuce has only 24 calories and merely 20 calories once you correct for the thermic effect. Watch TV for 15 minutes and you just burned off your 3 cups of romaine.
Salad Vegetables
Don't deprive yourself by eating plain, raw lettuce. Feel free to add other vegetables to your salad. Vegetables such as yellow, orange, red and green pepper add further fiber, vitamins A and C, phytonutrients and lycopene to your salad. One cup will add a minuscule 15 calories to your intake once you've adjusted for thermic effect. Oh, oh. You'll have to watch another 12 minutes of TV to burn off those calories. Continue adding the nutrition and the barely-there calories, while dressing up your salad by adding carrots, onion, cabbage, tomatoes and cucumber. Each of these vegetables offer fiber galore, and few calories.
Salad Toppers
Add some protein, omega-3 fatty acids and crunch to your salad by tossing in some almonds or other nuts. Almonds might help with weight maintenance or weight loss, according to research described at Medical News Today. Add fruit such as grapes or apples for sweetness, texture and crunch. High in fiber and nutrients, these fruits reduce your food cravings.
Green Tea
Green tea boosts your metabolism and reduces your appetite. A 2008 study at the National Institute of Health found that tea drinkers had increased metabolism and lost weight.
Low-fat Dairy
Low-fat dairy products such as skim milk or low-fat yogurt provide high levels of protein, which stabilizes blood sugar and reduces your appetite. The protein has a high thermic effect, reducing your net caloric intake.
Apples
Pectin in apples limits absorption of fat by cells. The fiber in apples reduces your appetite, and, according to WSBTV, antioxidants may reduce the likelihood of metabolic syndrome, a medical condition that causes thickening of the waist.
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