7 Healthy Food Swaps To Burn Belly Fat
Skip this eat that: healthy food swaps to burn belly fat edition
On today’s episode of Live Lean TV, I’m sharing a “Skip This, Eat That” series, where I’m sharing 7 healthy food swaps to burn belly fat.
The majority of healthy food swaps will include swapping pre-packaged foods high in processed sugars, such as high fructose corn syrup, for healthier foods higher in protein, healthy fat, and fiber.
When unhealthy ingredients, like processed sugars, are listed as one of the top five ingredients on the ingredients label, it’s a dead away.
This food, more than likely, will not be 6 pack abs friendly.
As I mentioned in my last post on misleading nutrition label claims, even if a food label says it’s healthy or even organic, be aware.
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Always read the ingredients list
Always read the ingredients list and look for whole foods ingredients, high in protein, healthy fat, and fiber.
And when I say, whole foods, I referring to foods that are close to their natural state.
Think meat, fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds.
So without further ado, here are the 7 healthy food swaps: Skip This, Eat That edition.
7 healthy food swaps to burn belly fat
#1. Skip this: granola bars
Although many people consider them a healthy snack, most processed granola bars are often loaded with belly busting sugar and vegetable oils.
These glorified candy bars will quickly spike your blood sugar, releasing the fat storing hormone insulin, and will leave you feeling hungrier than before.
Eat that: healthy protein bars
A high quality, healthy protein bar is often hard to find, so always read the ingredients label or make your own homemade protein bars.
Look for protein bars that are:
- at least 10 grams of protein
- low in sugar and hidden sugars like syrups
- sweetened naturally, for example with stevia
- comprised of all natural ingredients, not chemicals, artificial sweeteners, and vegetable oils
- contain a healthy protein powder like whey protein, egg protein, or plant protein, not soy protein.
Remember, if you can’t pronounce most of the ingredients in your protein bar, put it back.
#2. Skip this: California rolls
Although I like the healthy fats in the avocado, the combination of white rice and imitation crab meat makes the California roll a high carbohydrate meal.
Yes, imitation crab meat is primarily comprised of carbohydrates, not protein, and not healthy fat.
Eat that: salmon roll or sashimi
Load up on healthy omega 3 fatty acids and protein, by eating a salmon roll or sashimi.
If you really want to cut back on the carbohydrates, stick with sashimi.
Sashimi is just the raw fish minus the rice.
Don’t knock it until you try it!
#3. Skip this: pasta salad
Most pasta salads are loaded with refined white pasta and mayonnaise made with unhealthy and inflammatory processed fat.
Sugar and unhealthy fat is not a good combination.
Plus, not only does this pasta salad lack protein, the white flour is sure to spike your insulin levels and cause your body to enter into fat storage mode.
Eat that: egg salad
Eggs are a great source of protein, healthy fat, and antioxidants.
This protein and fat combo will also keep you feeling fuller, longer, thus decreasing your calorie consumption and sugary junk food cravings throughout the day.
Eggs are one of your six pack abs best friend.
Here’s how to make a quick and easy egg salad recipe.
#4. Skip this: fat free salad dressing
Most of the time the fat normally found in salad dressings is replaced by sugar.
Not a good trade off.
Always read the ingredients label.
Eat that: homemade healthy salad dressing
When it comes to salad dressing, it’s so easy to make your own healthy salad dressing recipe.
Here’s a link to one of our favorite homemade salad dressing recipes.
However, if you must buy your salad dressings, always look at the ingredients to make sure they are primarily comprised of a healthy oil, like olive oil, and ensure the ingredients don’t contain added sugar and chemicals.
If the salad dressing contains soybean oil or canola oil, skip that.
#5. Skip this: white flour english muffins
White flour english muffins are not the way you want to start your day.
Not only are they are low in protein, healthy fat, and fiber, they also contain belly busting refined flour that will cause havoc on your fat storing hormones.
Eat that: 100% whole grain sprouted english muffins
Sprouted english muffins are made with no flour and contain sprouted whole grains.
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They also contain twice as much protein and fiber and only half the carbs of regular english muffins.
#6. Skip this: craisins
Plain and simple, craisins are just sugar coated dried cranberries in sunflower oil.
Sugar and not the best oil.
Walk away.
Eat that: raisins or other dried fruit
When it comes to dried fruit, the ingredients label should say one ingredient.
The fruit.
Skip it if they contain added sugar, honey, or processed fat.
Although, I prefer to eat the whole fruit, dried fruit like raisins or dried apple slices make a decent on the go antioxidant kick.
#7. Skip this: fruit cocktail in heavy syrup
Since it’s stored in syrup, it’s loaded with sugar.
Even though the fruit has antioxidant benefits, the loads of sugar far outweighs the benefits.
Eat that: fruit cocktail in 100% juice
Fruit cocktail in 100% juice contains less added sugar then when it’s stored in syrup.
But again, if you really want to be healthy, just stick with a fresh piece of fruit.
Bottom line on healthy food swaps to burn belly fat:
I hope this healthy food swaps to burn belly fat episode helps you make more healthy food decisions.
Remember, whenever in doubt, choose foods that are in their whole state and contain as little added ingredients as possible.
Stick to real food people!
Plus, there are so many other healthy food swaps that I could share.
In fact, I posted a video called 14 simple food swaps to get a lean belly here.
But I still have more to give.
So be sure to click subscribe with bell notifications turned on as I’ll be back with a part 2 to this Food Swaps: Skip This Eat This series.
Thanks for watching and keep Living Lean.
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Brad Gouthro is the founder of Live Lean TV, a media company focused on helping men and women “Live Lean” 365 days a year. Brad’s programs and content have helped millions of people all over the world learn how to get in shape, and more importantly, sustain it for life.
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