Although no foods actively or directly burn fat off your body, vegetables are perhaps the most valuable food group in your dieting pursuits. Most vegetables are low in calories and high in dietary fiber and nutrients that are essential for your health. Unfortunately, as the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center explains, you cannot isolate belly fat to burn. You will have to trim your waistline by losing fat from your entire body.
Brussels Sprouts
Dr. Ann Kulze, a South Carolina-based health and wellness specialist, refers to brussels sprouts as a "superstar" weight loss vegetable. Dr. Jonny Bowden, a clinical nutrition specialist, says brussels sprouts are not actually sprouts, but are a member of the high-fiber cabbage family. One cup of brussels sprouts is only 45 calories but has 9 g of dietary fiber. The fiber in these "mini cabbages," known as brussels sprouts will help you control and satisfy your appetite without requiring you to eat a lot of calories. Aside from being a good source of vitamin K, folate and potassium, Brussels sprouts also contain a substance called "sinigrin" that might help prevent colon cancer.
Kale
Bowden and Kulze both suggest kale as a weight loss aid. Kale contains large amounts of calcium, iron, vitamin A, vitamin C and vitamin K. Bowden says kale has the highest antioxidant rating of any vegetable scored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Two cups of kale has less than 30 calories, plus 4 g of protein and 3 g of dietary fiber. Many people consider kale as simply an addition to a salad, but you can dip the leaves into a low-calorie vegetable dip. Bowden suggests you prepare a small salad with kale as the main ingredient, topped with olive oil and a small amount of pine nuts and dried cranberries.
Carrots
Carrots are a non-green vegetable that Kulze considers a "superstar" vegetable for weight loss. A cup of carrots has 45 calories and 3.1 g of dietary fiber. Bowden reports that just 3 medium-size carrots have 586 mg of potassium, which is more than a medium-size banana. They also have 60 mg of calcium and 30,000 IUs of vitamin A, 15,000 IUs of which is beta-carotene. Carrots also contain 6,000 IUs of alpha-carotene, which might help prevent certain types of tumor growth and cancer such as lung cancer. Unlike some other vegetables, carrots can be easily packed and eaten as a snack food if you are on the go. Carrots are certainly a more diet-friendly snack than traditional snacking foods such as potato chips or candy.
Bell Peppers
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, and Kulze recommend bell peppers as part of your weight loss plan. Bell peppers are not hot or spicy peppers, but are considered "sweet" peppers. A cup of bell peppers has 30 calories. All varieties of bell peppers are high in vitamin C and vitamin A. Although Kulze recommended red and orange bell peppers, Bowden also recommends yellow, green, purple and the very-rare black variety of sweet bell peppers. Like carrots, peppers can be used as snacking food. The CDC recommends dipping bell pepper slices in a low-calorie hummus dip.
References
- "The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth"; Dr. Jonny Bowden; 2007
- University of Texas -- Southwestern Medical Center: Weight Loss -- Belly Fat
- CDC: How To Use Fruits And Vegetables To Help Manage Your Weight
- JonnyBowdenBlog.com: 10 Superfoods for Weight Loss (Part One)
- JonnyBowdenBlog.com: 10 Superfoods for Weight Loss (Part Two)
- Rochester Institute of Technology: Dr. Ann Kulze --10 Steps to Permanent Weight Loss and Wellness
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