We’ve all been there: Gazing at the cookie jar, while knowing that we should be eating yogurt instead. Sure, they’re the same number of calories, but they can make a huge impact on how you lose fat from your body. While there isn’t a magic pill or diet for losing belly fat, consuming more of the following foods can definitely help you shed fat from your midsection fast.

1. Whole Eggs

Whole eggs are excellent sources of high quality protein, which is an incredibly important macronutrient for fat loss. Studies show that consuming more protein can help curb cravings by 60%, elevate your metabolism by up to 100 calories a day and help you reduce around 440 calories from your daily calorie intake.

Not only does protein help you lose weight, it also helps prevent your body from gaining back weight if you ever fall back on your weight loss efforts.

According to one study, people who ate more high quality protein had much less tummy fat as well. In another study, protein intake was significantly tied to reduced risk fat gain around the midsection over a 5 year period.

If you’re looking to shed belly fat, consider upping your protein intake to 25 to 30% of your daily calories. Try incorporating a mix of high quality protein foods, such as fish, seafood, grass-fed meat, poultry, legumes and nuts to make your meals more interesting. If you do struggle to get enough protein, try using a protein supplement, such as whey protein or pea protein to increase your total protein intake.

2. Kefir

This refreshing, yogurt-like fermented drink is packed with probiotics, which help improve your gut flora. Probiotics are healthy bacteria that make an integral part of your digestive tract. According to research, drinking kefir is associated with increased weight loss and reduced waist circumference. But is it really the probiotics brining about these changes?

In another study, consuming a fermented drink containing probiotics over a period of 12 weeks resulted in reduced BMI and waist and hip circumference among participants. Probiotics protect the gut against inflammation and oxidative damage, which have been linked to increased abdominal fat storage.

Kefir is an incredibly delicious, yet healthy drink you can easily add to your superfood arsenal. Just be sure to avoid flavored kefirs containing added sugars. You can easily sweeten your kefir at home by incorporating it into a smoothie containing banana or dates, or simply mixing your choice of natural sweetener into it.

3. Steel Cut Oats

Steel cut oats are rich in dietary fiber, the most indigestible nutrient. Eating fiber for weight loss is common knowledge, but it’s also important to understand that not fibers are equal.

Soluble and viscous fibers have the greatest impact on your weight as they bind with water, forming a thick gel-like substance that parks itself in the gut. This gel significantly slows down the movement of food through your digestive tract, thus also slowing down the digestion and absorption of nutrients in the body. When food is digested slowly in the body, it creates longer-lasting feelings of satiety and fullness, as well as reduced appetite.

According to one study, an extra 14 grams of fiber a day resulted in a 10% reduction in participants’ daily calorie intake, and an average weight loss of 4.5 pounds over a period of 4 months. In another study, consuming 10 grams of soluble fiber a day lead to a 3.7% reduction in abdominal fat over a 5 year period.

The best way to consume more fiber is to add more plant-based foods to your diet. In addition to your morning oats, consider adding more legumes, vegetables and fruit to up your soluble fiber intake.

Join our next 8 Week VIP Busy Mum Program – Take hold of your results now

Click here for more Nutrition articles.