Dietitians are revealing the best snacks to help you lose belly fat — and it doesn’t have to be a fancy feast.
“One example of a snack like this would be a packet of tuna or chicken and whole-grain crackers,” Caroline Thomason, a registered dietitian based in Washington, DC, told Parade this week.
Thomason praised the bite for being packed with protein and a high-fiber carbohydrate.
The protein will help you feel full faster than a nutrient-void snack low in protein, Thomason reasoned, while high-fiber carbohydrates provide sustained energy.
If chicken of the sea doesn’t catch your eye, a handful of berries can also be a great snack.
Eating blueberries daily has been shown to improve athletic performance and burn more body fat while exercising.
“Berries — including but not limited to strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries — are true ‘superfoods,’ exceedingly rich in dietary fiber, vitamins, antioxidants and other beneficial plant compounds with anti-obesity and anti-inflammatory properties,” Kelsey Costa, a registered dietitian and nutrition consultant, told Parade.
She also noted that: “Dietary fiber, a key component found abundantly in berries, may play a crucial role in enhancing weight loss and improving diet adherence among adults battling overweight or obesity on calorie-restricted diets.”
Obesity is defined as a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more — the abnormal or excessive fat accumulation presents a health risk, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
The condition is on the rise worldwide, with the WHO reporting that the percentage of obese adults more than doubled, from 7% to 16%, from 1990 to 2022.
Experts recommend embracing healthy eating behaviors — such as consuming a well-balanced diet and eating when hungry — rather than attempting to closely control eating.
Diets that aren’t “medically necessary” can “cause people real harm” and spur a “lifelong struggle” with weight, experts warn.
One study found that most dieters resort to falling back on quick fixes (such as low-carb diets or diet drugs), overexercising and avoiding social events with food.
People feel ashamed when they regain weight and eventually feel worse about themselves than they did before they began dieting.
But weight management isn’t always about what you eat.
A new study found that you’re six times more likely to struggle with obesity if your parents packed on pounds in middle age.