Top 10 Best Foods To Lose Fat (And Build Muscle!)

Sometimes, nutrition and weight loss are confusing. What's the truth about how to lose fat, and how can you improve your chances of success?  

On this blog, I've worked hard to simplify all the noise with articles about intermittent fasting, hidden sugars, and inflammatory foods, among others. Today, I want to tackle the big question of losing fat while gaining muscle, also known as Body Recomposition.

To lose weight, we have to burn more calories than we eat. If you are looking to lose fat yet gain muscle, you need to take a different approach.

When you cut calories, your body uses energy stores to function properly. The result is a loss of fat and weight, but there is also a loss of muscle mass. That’s why eating protein is important to continue gaining muscle mass. We must take in nutrients that help us build lean muscle.

The goal here is to aim for fat loss but, at the same time, muscle gain. 

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10 Best Foods To Lose Fat

I'll discuss each of these in a moment, but at a glance, these 10 foods are high in protein:

1. Full-Fat Dairy
2. Eggs
3. Fish
4. Protein Powder
5. Apple Cider Vinegar
6. Lean Meats
7. Quinoa
8. Brown Rice
9. Chia Seeds
10. Legumes

Remember, it’s helpful to exercise and eat well to reach your goals.

1. Full-Fat Dairy

You know me, I can never say enough good things about Greek yogurt. On the fat loss side, Greek yogurt contains conjugated linoleic acid, known to burn fat and promote weight loss. Cottage cheese is another protein-filled snack that helps to fill you up.  

2. Eggs

Eggs help promote fullness. Additionally, the protein in eggs takes longer to break down in your stomach which can lead to feeling fuller longer. The amino acids in this ultra-nutritional food increase muscle gain. So, eggs are one of the best foods to lose fat and gain muscle.

3. Fish, Like Salmon and Tilapia

The omega-3 fatty acids in fish, like salmon, can reduce inflammation. Fish is also good for both heart and muscular health.

4. Protein Powder

Both dairy and plant-based proteins protect and conserve muscle in the body. You can easily add protein to smoothies to increase your daily intake, which I do daily. Protein can also keep you full and promote fat burning, too. Look for protein powders that are high in quality source proteins and don't have many ingredients or added sugars. If you want to learn more on protein powder check out my post on Protein Powder | The Ultimate Guide For Beginners.

5. Apple Cider Vinegar

Now that I follow an intermittent fasting eating regimen, I have started incorporating apple cider vinegar.

The acetic acid in the vinegar is thought to lessen fat accumulation in the stomach and increase the body’s ability to lose fat. To learn more about the weight loss benefits of ACV, watch my video.

6. Lean Meats, Like Beef And Chicken

Lean beef, turkey, and chicken are beneficial for gaining muscle and losing fat because their macro breakdown is higher in protein than other macronutrients (carbs and fats). They also take longer to digest and leave you feeling more full and less snacky, helping to reduce your overall caloric intake.

7. Quinoa

Quinoa is rich in dietary fiber and protein. Cooked quinoa contains five grams of dietary fiber per cup and is low in carbs.

8. Brown Rice

Brown rice is a useful source of complex, slow-burning carbs. Slow-burning carbs are important because they help provide your body with fiber and nutrients and take a while to digest. Brown rice is also gluten-free and cheaper than lean meats.

9. Chia Seeds

Chia seeds are high in protein in relation to their mass (a little goes a LONG way), and have many health benefits! I love adding them to healthy salads, protein smoothies, yogurt, and chia pudding!

Chia seeds are a fabulous source of omega-3 fatty acids too. Try this Overnight Chocolate Chia Pudding, it’s so rich you’ll forget that it’s even healthy!

10. Beans And Legumes

Chickpeas, edamame, and kidney beans are all excellent ways to add protein to the diet which will help you burn more calories to digest and will keep you fuller longer.

Tips To Burn Fat and Build Muscle

Now that you understand which foods to incorporate to burn fat and build muscle, here are 5 helpful tips to maximize your results.

1. Avoid Fake Healthy Foods

Processed foods are empty calories that do not provide nutrition. This includes foods that have hidden sugars and unhealthy fats. There are also a lot of foods that are marketed to look healthy but aren't.

Remember these tips when avoiding processed foods:

• Foods that claim to be low sugar or sugar-free may have ingredients like aspartame, saccharin, and sucralose
• Fat-free items can be fat-reduced but sugar-increased
• There are lots of names for hidden sugar, like maltodextrin, barley malt, sucralose, glucose-fructose, and corn syrup solids - watch out for these
• Gluten-free items can contain a lot of sugar, salt, and fat, so read the labels carefully.

Pro Tip: To stay on track with healthy eating, watch my meal prep video and start making healthy meals ahead of time.

2. Eat Full-Fat Dairy To Lose Fat And Build Muscle

Including full-fat dairy in your meal offers many benefits. For one, dairy products are high in protein. The combination of fast- and slow-digesting proteins are thought to contribute to lean muscle mass growth. 

Also, full-fat dairy helps can help you feel fuller for longer. Studies also indicate that enzymes in milk proteins can inhibit fat-producing cells, too.

People often go for the low-fat versions of dairy products, not realizing that the fat is replaced with sugar and other unhealthy ingredients. Instead, better choices may be full-fat yogurt, cheese, and butter. Check out this video on whether dairy is good for weight loss for more info!

3. Eat Veggies With Every Meal To Lose Fat And Build Muscle

Veggies provide the fiber needed to keep the digestive system working and processing the food you are eating. Aim to fill half your plate with nutrient-dense vegetables for optimum digestive health.

Try these veggies to boost to your plate:

• Spinach
• Kale
• Broccoli
• Sweet potatoes
• Squash 
• Peas
• Collard greens
• Carrots
• Brussel sprouts

4. Healthy Fats Are Good For You

Don’t be afraid of the word fat. Many people, especially when they want to lose fat, think that cutting fat out of their diet is a must. This couldn’t be farther from the truth.

Fat supplies energy to the muscles when you are going about your day, and especially when you are exercising. Choose healthy fats, like almonds, avocados, fatty fish, like salmon, and extra virgin olive oil are all good choices. 

5. Eat Protein Every Day To Lose Fat And Build Muscle

Protein consumption is essential to both fat loss and muscle gain. For fat loss, include protein in every meal to increase the thermic effect, which is the amount of calories your body burns to break down the food. You see, protein-rich foods help to increase your metabolism because your body requires more energy to digest them.