Red Bell Peppers
You likely already know how important it is to eat your veggies—and choosing the right ones is a great way to promote weight loss. "Bell peppers are ideal vegetables to add to a weight loss diet," Best recommends.
Red bell peppers are flavorful, versatile, low in calories, and high in nutrients. This makes them the perfect ingredient (or snack!) to eat every day.
One of the best things about this vegetable is the fact that you can add them to just about any meal. "Red bell peppers can easily be integrated into most recipes," Best says. "They are quite versatile in that they can be consumed raw on a salad or cooked, chopped, or minced and added to soups or casseroles." Yum!
Best says they also help "create a sense of fullness after meals," which means you won't have to worry about getting hungry between meals and snacking on fatty foods to make up for it. Perfect!
Turmeric
If you're looking for the best ingredient to spice up your meals and help you lose weight along the way, turmeric is a fantastic option. Best says this spice is "an excellent addition to an existing weight loss regimen." You can thank turmeric's anti-inflammatory capabilities for that.
"Reducing inflammation in the body has an almost direct impact on preventing or reducing obesity and overall body weight," Best explains. "By cutting down inflammation in the body your metabolism is better able to burn calories at an efficient rate."
Wondering about the best way to fit this fat-blasting spice into your diet? Best suggests adding it to root vegetables and cruciferous vegetables like cauliflower or potatoes. "It has a distinct peppery flavory good for more savory dishes," she adds. Count us in!
Eggs
Eggs are a classic metabolism-boosting ingredient that serve as a go-to staple in any weight loss regimen. Best says this is because they increase the thermic effect of food (TEF), which helps to increase your metabolism.
"When these foods are digested they raise the body's internal temperature which increases the amount of calories burned during that time," she explains. "This means you are burning calories while eating." That almost sounds too good to be true—especially for such a delicious, versatile food!
Eggs can find their way into just about any meal, so incorporating them into your diet will be a breeze. Just be sure to avoid cooking them with any added oils if you're trying to lose weight. "Boiled eggs make an excellent topping and protein for a salad and poached eggs are a great oil-free breakfast egg option," Best suggests. Delicious!
Of course, at the end of the day, your personal weight loss plan should be just that: personalized. The diet that works best for you will come down to your body's specific needs, so you should always speak to your doctor before making any drastic changes. However, for the most part, you can't go wrong with these dietitian-approved foods. We'll be rushing to the kitchen to whip up a metabolism-boosting meal with all of them ASAP!