Foods That Burn Calories

7 Awesome Foods That Burn Calories Like Crazy!

7 foods! They’ll burn fat! Wow!

All you gotta do is eat food to lose weight! Who knew! That’s like drinking beer to get sober!

It’s also pretty much total crap.

I mean, come on. I know you were hoping to come to this list and see “big-ass bowl of french fries with buttered toast and chocolate syrup on top” (I’m sorry, I just grossed myself out), but that ain’t happening.

There’s just no way to eat crappy, unhealthy food and have it make you lose weight.

However…

One of the worst parts of trying to lose weight is feeling hungry all the time. That part SUCKS. It’s the main reason why a lot of diets fail – people get hungry and they go to their comfort foods, which often help with weight loss like a cannon ball helps with swimming.

There are a lot of (good! I promise!) foods that fill you up, curb those hunger pains and actually accelerate your fat loss instead of slowing it down.

You can stop hunger in its tracks, eat as much as you like, and still lose weight. You just can’t do it with bread pudding.

Besides, who’d want to do that anyway? Bread pudding is kind of gross.

ok, away we go:

1. Celery

I don’t know about you but I hate the taste of plain celery. Which begs the question of why I put it first on a list of foods that you should eat a lot. Sounds like I’m kind of a real dick. Anyway, celery isn’t the best on its own, but I respect it as a flavorful base for soups and stews and it’s a necessary ingredient in a lot of my juicing recipes.

Celery has so few calories because it’s mostly water. It’s a super hydrating vegetable that you can juice, eat raw, cook up in some soup, or dip in peanut butter for a quick snack. It’s also great at helping to flush out and regulate your digestive system.

But don’t go on a celery diet. It should only be an addition to your meal plan, not the whole thing. Because come on. If you only ate celery you’d jump off a bridge. Or turn into an actual celery stalk. I’m not sure which is worse.

Do you know which 3 unique veggies burn off belly fat? Take this quiz and find out: Do You Know Which Veggies Burn Abdominal Fat?

2. Green Tea

Another sneaky way to get your daily water intake is through tea. Green tea especially is loaded with antioxidants that help reduce your risk of inflammation and disease while jumpstarting your metabolism.

Studies show that just 2-3 cups of green tea a day can be beneficial to weight loss.

In fact, one randomized placebo controlled trial demonstrated that moderately overweight adults lost 2.64 lbs on average and ¾ of an inch off their waistlines just by adding green tea to their diet and not changing a single other thing about their diet or exercise routine.

If you need incentive, here’s a fun game to play: Pretend that drinking enough green tea will actually turn you green . You could be a real life Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle if you drink enough green tea! (Note: drinking green tea will not turn you green. This was a really stupid idea).

Just make sure you’re drinking real, legit tea. I’m talking a green tea bag and hot water. You can add some Splenda for taste if you’d like. But if you’re getting one from Starbucks with 6 glugs of whole milk and a quarter pound of sugar and 5 oz of eggnog and a lard-cream topping (and oh my god who would ever actually drink that), let’s just say you’ll be defeating the entire purpose of drinking green tea in the first place.

3. Coffee

If you can’t get over the taste of green tea, coffee might be more your speed. Like anything in life, moderation is key. One or two cups of coffee a day can actually be very beneficial to you as long as you’re not getting your body and brain addicted to it to the point where you have withdrawal symptoms.

Studies show that drinking coffee before a workout can actually help you burn more fat and calories than simply starting your day with it.

A study published in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism reported that those who ingested caffeine before a workout burned approximately 15% more calories for 3 hours after exercise than those who didn’t.

It also increases your circulation and blood flow which means more oxygen is getting to your muscles. Recent Japanese research has confirmed that those who drink caffeinated coffee had 30% better circulation in the 75 minute period following than those who drank non-caffeinated coffee. Better circulation = better workout!

Just make sure that if you drink coffee before you work out, you use the bathroom before you get into the gym. All I know is how coffee affects me – and now i’ve grossed. you. out.

Coffee also boosts your glycogen levels that your body taps into when it’s running low on fuel. When you’re on the treadmill, that cup of coffee with your pre-workout snack will help you stay on it longer than if you only had carbohydrates alone.

4. Chia Seeds

Speaking of breakfast-type foods, chia seeds are a staple of a healthy, clean eating diet that does more than you think. Chia seeds – they’re not just for growing plants that look like other things to amaze and delight easily amused people!

I mean honestly, what an amazing invention. Chia Pets were huge. Don’t you wish you invented Chia Pets instead of whatever douchebag actually did? He or she is probably cruising around town in a Ferrari made out of Chia Pets while we’re brainstorming ideas for weight loss. The world isn’t fair.

Anyway, chia seeds are for more than a genius cash grab. They’re also delicious in a bowl of Greek yogurt, almond milk, and some toppings. I like mixing in chunks of mango and toasted, unsweetened coconut flakes. Just two tablespoons will set you back 120 calories but you also get 4 grams of protein and 10 grams of fiber to keep you full.

Plus, chia seeds give your body a great amount of healthy fats – in particular, omega-3 fatty acids, which are critical to your brain function and heart health.

Studies show that having a filling, hearty breakfast leads to consuming less calories throughout the day. Not only are these little seeds good for your digestive health, they keep you from overeating the rest of the day. Just remember that you shouldn’t actually eat a Chia Pet. That would taste gross and get you really weird looks from everyone around you.

5. Spicy Food

Spices and hot foods have a reputation for boosting your metabolism. I’d imagine to people who like spicy food this is a godsend, because spicy food is the best thing in the universe. I’d imagine that people who hate spicy food are too busy being afraid of anything good and drinking plain milk with ice in it to read this article.

People, spicy food is good. Get out of your comfort zone.

Anyway, the capsaicin in hot peppers has been shown to increase feelings of satiety. In other words, it helps you to feel full and when you feel full, you stop eating.

Plus, studies in nations like Thailand, where chilies are eaten regularly and often, have shown that people who consume hot peppers regularly are much, much less likely to have a blood clotting disease than those that do not.

You don’t have to start munching on a hot habanero pepper to get the benefits. Don’t eat habanero peppers! What is wrong with you? Please stop!

If you don’t particularly like spicy food (for whatever deranged reason), look for a mild hot sauce that you can start introducing your palate to. Hot sauce is fantastic on eggs, pizza, pasta dishes, spicing up soups and pretty much every other food in the history of anything.

If you can handle it (Subtle challenge, did you notice?) Sriracha chili sauce goes with just about everything. Just be careful though, if you have ulcers or heartburn. If you’re not feeling the spices, don’t force your body to accept it.

And if you like spicy food, you know all of this already. Be well, enlightened one.

6. Whole Grains and Beans

You’ve probably heard enough about the evils of white flour but seriously, stay away from that junk. Gone are the days of white bread sandwiches with factory-made weird deli meats and processed cheeses. Which is a shame, because white bread is delicious.

However, whole grain is almost as delicious, and won’t kill you in a matter of hours (that claim might be slightly exaggerated). In order to get healthy carbohydrates that support a flat stomach and weight loss, look for whole grains whenever possible. Opt for brown rice over white and whole grain over bleached white flour.

Beans are another fat-fighting item that pair really well with whole grains. They’re fat free and are packed with fiber and protein to keep you feeling full. They also help regulate your digestive tract, which keeps things moving along. I’m talking about poop. Beans help you poop better. That was what I was hinting at with the euphemism “moving along”.

Just make sure you’re buying them plain and not the sugar laden baked beans that add in a bunch of extra fat, oils, and sugars.

7. Salmon

Any type of fish that is high in omega-3 fatty acids is your friend when you’re trying to lose weight. Eating two servings of fish per week has been shown to increase metabolism with lean protein and little to no fat.

Plus, people, salmon is delicious. If you don’t like sushi I don’t want to know you, go hang out with the people who hate spicy food and the rest of the babies. Lox is the finest topping a bagel could ask for.

more: Take The Quiz – Do You Know The Unique Veggies That Burn Abdominal Fat?

The good type of fat in salmon, tuna, and herring helps to lower your cholesterol and clean out your arteries. You can get omega-3s from fish or by taking a supplement but I think eating a mustard crusted salmon is much tastier.

I mean, if you need any more reasons that salmon is amazing, just think about bears. Bears eat salmon raw straight from the river. Bears are awesome. Hence – all you have to do is eat salmon raw from the river and you will be awesome. Be more like bears.

My editor told me I can’t end this article by telling you to be like a bear, so let me know below what your favorite healthy foods and hot sauces are and especially whether you are a real bear that learned to read. That would be so cool and I want to be your friend. We could eat salmon together – think about it.

In summary…

The 7 Best Foods That Burn Calories

  1. Celery
  2. Green tea
  3. Coffee
  4. Chia seeds
  5. Spicy food
  6. Whole grains and beans
  7. Salmon

foods that burn calories

References:
1. “Effects of Catechin Enriched Green Tea on Body Composition.” Obesity, August 2009.
2. “Ingestion of a Moderately-High Caffeine Dose Before Exercise Increases Post-Exercise Energy Expenditure” International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, June 2014.
3. “Nutritional Value of Chia Seeds & the Complete Nutrient and Calorie Profile” www.healwithfood.org, n.p.d.

19 comments… add one
  • Alice April 7, 2015, 12:11 pm

    Very useful tips I must say. Thank you for posting these. My husband and I are getting ready to refresh the fridge and would like to fill it with the foods that help us burn calories, not gain them :)

  • AdamMan April 5, 2015, 11:27 am

    All very good foods that many people are not getting into their diet each day. Great information here that is worth sharing with more people!

  • ChadBurt March 25, 2015, 12:56 pm

    I have been using Flax Seed for many years because I could not find chia seeds in the area I live. What are the benefits of Flax Seeds in my yogurt, etc?

  • JunkCollector March 22, 2015, 4:39 pm

    I eat a lot of spicy foods and if it were not for the heartburn once in a while, I would only eat these types of foods that burn calories.

  • Tim Doxmiller March 19, 2015, 12:10 pm

    It is very difficult to keep on a diet when you feel hungry all of the time. Finding foods that burn calories for you is a good way to start a diet, keep the energy level up and the waist line down!

    • Shambuling July 1, 2015, 3:59 pm

      A perfect reply! Thanks for taking the trueolb.

  • Jinx March 15, 2015, 12:18 pm

    Eating things like celery are a good way to scrape the insides of your intestines out. That is part of a good detox.

    • Lucy April 1, 2015, 1:20 pm

      I also use celery for my detox, but I put it into my smoothy maker and drink it down!

  • LaughDaily March 14, 2015, 8:56 pm

    If there is food out there that is going to HELP me lose weight, I am all ears! This is a pretty good list and even with information that I was unaware of.

  • Dorris March 2, 2015, 12:36 pm

    I know a person that actually adds the chia seeds to his water. He claims that he can get a bunch of energy from that one drink throughout the day. I guess to each his own.

  • Dillon Greentree February 27, 2015, 11:11 am

    I love that celery and green tea are on the list! I did not know that about celery, but it is a nice treat. I tend to drink green tea in the morning rather than coffee, which has to be better for me, right?

    • NorthernMichiganApples March 20, 2015, 12:30 pm

      I also love celery and green tea. I use celery in ALL of my smoothies and when it is extra crunchy, it tastes the best as a snack that you can have before bed that helps you burn the calories and not feel bloated!

  • Shalisa K. February 25, 2015, 7:27 pm

    Whole grains – hooray! I want to lose weight but I HATE the idea of giving up bread, I eat it way too much to ever give it up. Good to know I can stick to whole grains and still be able to lose weight!

  • Yolanda February 24, 2015, 4:29 pm

    I have read that about celery and chia seeds. The coffee and green tea I never really thought about since they are not really eaten. At least all of these things are tolerable to eat or drink and if they are going to help me lost weight, bonus!

    • BoringJones March 10, 2015, 12:14 pm

      I have also read the benefits of these two. It is nice that some of the food that we eat is helping us, rather than always hurting us in some way.

  • Denise K. February 4, 2015, 7:18 pm

    I LOVE green tea! This is such great news! I drink green tea all the time and even though it’s never turned me green (LOL!) I can definitely feel the difference when I drink it vs when I don’t. More green tea for me!

  • Sally February 3, 2015, 1:04 am

    This is all a myth. The only way to lose weight is eating less calories than you burn. So simple. There is technically a way to eat too much celery and gain weight. Obviously it isn’t likely to happen, but it still COULD.

    And the spicy food thing? I really don’t know. I would love to believe this is all true but i just don’t see the results.

    • Riva Lopez March 2, 2015, 12:38 pm

      The spicy food thing is the real deal. I eat spicy food all of the time and have also heard about that from other resources.

      • Polly March 13, 2015, 11:09 am

        I have learned this as well. I also like to implement other fruits into smoothies with my veggies because it makes them taste better, adds natural juices and sugars and is a good way for you to start your day.

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