There are foods that make you fat, and there are foods that help you burn fat. Food that burn fat work by causing you to use up more calories digesting the foods than those foods contain. Fat burning foods have four basic characteristics; they contain little or no fat, they speed up your metabolism, they make you feel fuller and they help your body break down its own fat.

Dairy Foods

These low fat, high calcium products help breakdown the body fat stored in your fat cells. According to Fatfreekitchen.com and Secrets of Healthy Eating, three to four servings a day of yogurt, low-fat cottage cheese, low-fat milk and low-fat/no-fat cheeses not only help you to lose weight and fat, these foods also help you lose weight faster, as long as you restrict your total caloric intake. Even better, dairy foods specifically target belly fat.

Fruits and Nuts

Fruits and nuts are rich in vitamin C, which inhibits the ability of cells to store fat, aids digestion and increases metabolism, the rate at which your body burns calories, says Fatfreekitchen.com. The fiber in these foods makes you feel fuller, so you have a tendency to eat less, and moves food through your digestive system more quickly. Grapefruit keeps you from storing fat. Apples slow down the absorption of certain kinds of fat and aid in breaking down belly fat.

Vegetables

Vegetables fill you up and keep you feeling fuller longer. According to Eatinghealthyfoods.org, vegetables are fat free or low in fat and high in fiber, vitamins, antioxidants and other nutrients. Soy beans, garlic, asparagus and onions help to break down fat and prevent it from depositing in your fat cells. Cucumbers and the carotene in carrots speed up your metabolism and facilitate fat removal from fat cells.

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Animal Proteins

White flesh fish and salmon help your body work more efficiently, says Eatinghealthyfoods.org. The fish oil found in salmon, tuna, mackerel, herring, trout, sardines and halibut helps your body burn stored fat. The vitamin B12 in egg whites also aids in breaking down fatty deposits.

Other Foods that Burn Fat

Foods Like honey and olive oil break down and eliminate the fat deposited in your fat cells, says Eatinghealthyfoods.org. Cinnamon helps regulate insulin release; the less insulin your body releases, the less fat your body stores. Fatfreekitchen.com recommends drinking green tea, which releases an enzyme that breaks down fat. Chilies and cardamom increase your metabolism and cause you to burn more calories. Curry helps to reduce the fat in your fat cells.

Helping Your Fat Burning Foods

Reduce the amount of sugar and salt in your diet, says Fatfreekitchen. Don’t skip meals because that will slow your metabolism and make it harder for you to lose weight. Eatinghealthyfoods.org reminds you to limit your caloric intake and exercise if you want to hasten your weight loss and keep the pounds off.

Fatfreekitchen.com: Fat burning foods
http://www.fatfreekitchen.com/weightloss/fat-burning-foods.html

EatingHealthyFoods.org: Natural Fat Burning Foods that Help Burn Fat
http://www.eatinghealthyfoods.org/natural-fat-burning-food.html
Secrets of Healthy Living: List of Low Fat Foods to Help You Lose Weight
http://www.secretsofhealthyeating.com/list-of-low-fat-food.html

EatingHealthyFoods.org: Foods that burn fat
http://www.eatinghealthyfoods.org/foods-that-burn-fat.html