Nutrisystem Uses These Foods to Burn Fat

Spanx isn't your only solution to belly fat. Science has found that, along with weight loss and exercise, eating certain foods can help you specifically whittle your middle. And these foods won't just help you slip into a little black dress or fit into your high school gym shorts, but also may help you reduce your risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and certain cancers. Nutrisystem is a program designed to help you incorporate these foods into your diet so you can better battle belly fat. Here are the foods that will give your metabolism a boost.

1. Almonds and other nuts

Nuts used to be a diet no-no because of their fat content, but no more. The fat they contain is monounsaturated fat (MUFA) which has been shown to curb appetite and prevent central body fat. Nuts are present in many of Nutrisystem's snacks, including the Walnut Chocolate Chip Cookies.

2. Beans

Fiber is essential for weight loss, and you can get an extra 10 grams of soluble fiber in a half cup of pinto beans (think chili!). Lentils, split peas, lima and black beans also dish out a good amount of this nutrient, as do fruits like raspberries, apples and pears (just be sure to leave the skin on as that is where most of the fiber can be found). Veggies like broccoli and green peas also serve up a dose of fiber. Like good fats, fiber also helps you feel full, so eating these foods can curb your appetite, helping you lose pounds all over. Try Nutrisystem's Santa Fe Style Chicken, and fiber-packed Turboshakes.

3. Low-fat, vitamin D-fortified dairy

A 2013 study of overweight college students found that those whose weight-loss diets were supplemented with 600 IU of calcium and 125 IU of vitamin D lost about the same amount of weight as those on the same diet without the extra nutrients, but the calcium and D group lost more body fat mass and, importantly, belly fat than their counterparts. While the study participants took pills, you can get calcium from low-fat sources like D-fortified skim milk. Non-dairy sources of calcium and vitamin D include canned salmon (with bones), calcium-fortified orange juice, and calcium-fortified tofu.

4. Tea

Sipping tea, particularly the green variety, throughout the day, may help you lose weight by revving up your metabolism, but it also specifically targets belly fat. At work here may be a plant chemical called catechin which, in other research, stifles sugar and fat intake in the intestines—two things that can aid weight loss.

5. Turkey

The "magic" ingredient in poultry is an amino acid called l-arginine, which has been shown in several studies to burn fat, particularly that pesky centrally located fat. There are plenty of good food sources for the amino acid, including low-fat poultry like turkey breast, nuts and seeds, soybean products, fish such as orange roughy and tilapia, and shellfish such as Alaska king crab and shrimp. Foods high in arginine are also linked to lower risk of hypertension and stroke, according to Harvard research. Try Nutrisystem's delicious Turkey and Stuffing.

6. Yogurt

It's not just the calcium in yogurt and fermented dairy products that attacks belly fat. It's the probiotics: "good" bacteria that keeps your gut healthy and your tummy flat. Several studies have found that the beneficial bacteria in yogurt and yogurt-like products such as kefir, a drink that contains even more healthy germs than yogurt, promote weight loss and specifically target that deep, dangerous fat. It's a great snack to add to your Nutrisystem meal plan.

Nutrisystem encourages you to eat foods that battle belly fat. By supplementing Nutrisystem meals with these healthy foods, you'll be better equipped to manage your weight. With a variety of delicious meals to choose from, tackling extra belly fat has never been easier.

UPDATE: The awesome folks at Nutrisystem are extending a special offer to our readers