Food energy is measured in the calories provided by carbohydrates, protein and fat. If you consume more energy than you can use, your body will convert it to fatty tissue, and you'll gain weight. Genetic factors, lack of exercise -- specifically in the abdominal muscles -- and a calorie surplus might cause your body to store more fat in the belly area. To lower your ratio of fat to lean abdominal muscle mass, target and avoid the high-calorie foods you eat often.
Fast Foods
Many fast foods have added fat and sugar that raise their calorie counts. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, people who eat fast food weekly increase their risk of weight gain and obesity, a condition with excessive body fat. Some of the highest-calorie choices among all fast foods include hamburgers, cheeseburgers, breakfast sandwiches, tacos, and fried fish and chicken sandwiches, each with more than 500 calories per serving. Additional high-calorie fast foods include corn dogs, french fries and submarine sandwiches.
Dairy Products
If you enjoy nutritious dairy products, but not the belly fat to which they can contribute, make the switch to unsweetened low-fat and fat-free milk, yogurt, cheese and dairy desserts. The calorie difference between one cup of 149-calorie whole milk and 83-calorie fat-free varieties, for instance, can help you lower belly fat, especially if you get the recommended two to three servings per day. Downsize your fat and sugar intakes by avoiding whole-milk products and choosing unflavored 1 percent or fat-free milk and yogurt, part-skim cheeses, and reduced-fat, artificially sweetened ice creams and frozen yogurts.
Mayonnaise-Based Foods
The addition of mayonnaise to naturally healthy, low-calorie foods, such as cabbage, can threaten your waistline. This salad dressing contains both fat and sugar, and delivers 99 calories per tablespoon. You might eat substantially more than that portion in a serving of potato salad or coleslaw. When combined with other high-calorie ingredients, such as in a tuna salad submarine sandwich, mayonnaise-based foods can upset your caloric balance and become belly fat. Select reduced-fat or fat-free mayonnaise to reverse this trend.
Commercial and Homemade Baked Goods
Commercial and homemade baked goods such as pies, cakes and cookies derive their typically high calories from fat and the high carb content of sugar added to refined white flour. Like fast foods, many commercially prepared bakery products are among the foods with the highest calorie counts per serving. To reduce your belly fat mass, avoid high-fat Danish pastries, croissants and biscuits, as well as desserts such as chocolate cake and pecan, coconut, cream and fruit pies, especially the fried variety.
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