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

Sometimes, nutrition and weight loss are confusing. Some experts say you can't build muscle while losing fat, while other experts say it's possible. What's the truth here, 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.

Believe it or not, paying attention to your food can help you lose fat and build muscle. 

To lose weight, we have to burn more calories than we eat. But this calorie deficit is only necessary when you want to lose weight.  

If you are looking to lose fat yet gain muscle, you need to take a different approach. You see, losing fat isn’t necessarily about losing weight. It’s about getting rid of fat and putting lean muscle in its place. 

Listen To Me Read This Article

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 healthy foods like protein, complex carbohydrates, good-for-you fats, and fiber 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. 

10 Best Foods To Lose Fat And Build Muscle

I'll dive into each of these in a sec, but at a glance, the best foods to lose fat and build muscle are:

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 essential to exercise in combination with eating 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. As for muscle building, slow-digesting dairy proteins contribute to muscle gain. 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 so you're fuller longer after you eat them. 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, reduce inflammation and are one of the best foods to help you lose fat. Fish helps lessen the production of cortisol (a stress hormone that can lead to increased fat storage). 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 when losing weight. 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. My favorite protein brand is cleanish.

5. Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar (ACV) is one of my go-to hunger reducers. Now that I follow an intermittent fasting eating regimen, I drink a lot of water (one of the must-do’s!), and I add apple cider vinegar, to help keep off hunger.

Additionally, 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 extremely helpful 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, which helps to increase your metabolism, making it great for fat loss. Cooked quinoa contains five grams of dietary fiber per cup and is low in carbs, comparatively. 

8. Brown Rice

Brown rice has a bit of protein but, more importantly, is another useful source of complex, slow-burning carbs. The reason why slow-burning carbs are important is because they help provide your body with fiber and nutrients and take a while to digest. Brown rice is also gluten-free, cheaper than lean meats, and contains vitamins and minerals key to providing energy when needed.

9. Chia Seeds

Adding a spoonful of chia seeds to your diet is a great way to get in nutrients and fill yourself up while burning stored fat. 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 salads, smoothies, yogurt, and my favorite: 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. Edamame, in particular, contains folate which helps with muscle strength. Beans, like black or kidney beans, are packed with iron and phosphorus (both of which aid in protein building.)

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, and your body knows it. Foods that have hidden sugars, unhealthy fats, and ingredients you can’t pronounce or even attempt to understand would all be included in this list. There are also a lot of fake healthy foods out there that trick you into thinking you are eating well when, in fact, you aren’t at all.

Remember these tips when avoiding processed foods:

• Foods that claim to be low sugar or sugar-free will have ingredients like aspartame, saccharin, and sucralose
• Fat-free items are typically fat-reduced but sugar-increased
• There are lots of names for hidden sugar, like maltodextrin, barley malt, sucralose, glucose-fructose, and corn syrup solids
• Gluten-free items can contain a lot of sugar, salt, and fat, so read the labels carefully
• Instead of refined white flour when baking, look to whole wheat flour, cassava flour, chickpea flour, or almond meal

Pro Tip: Just don’t eat from a package! It’s as simple as it sounds. To easily stay on track with healthy eating, take a look at 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 you feel fuller for longer. Studies show that enzymes in milk proteins inhibit fat-producing cells.

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 are 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.

These veggies add a power-packed 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. What fats should you include in your meals? 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.