Comfort foods are known to bring back warm memories, tickle your taste buds, and soothe your soul. Although some comfort foods are deep-fried, covered in cheese, or packed with sugar, others can actually help you lose weight. Here are some of the cozy eats that help you burn fat.
Hot chocolate
Cocoa is packed with antioxidants, which reduce your levels of cortisol, a stress hormone that causes your body to cling to belly fat.
In fact, a study found that the concentration of antioxidants in hot chocolate is up to five times greater than it is in black tea.
The combination of carbs and proteins found in hot chocolate can also help your muscles recover faster from a tough workout.
Collard greens
A single serving of this veggie adds up to a mere 46 calories. A serving also packs more than your daily-recommended doses of vitamins A and K, which can strengthen your immune system for a healthy metabolism.
Plus, a cup of collard greens contains 7.6 grams of belly-filling fiber. According to a research eating fiber-rich foods can lower your body’s absorption of calories from carbs.
Chicken noodle soup
“People who eat a broth- or vegetable-based soup before their meal consume fewer calories overall,” says Rania Batayneh, MPH, nutritionist and author of The One One One Diet.
Batayneh says that water in the soup helps fill you up and boosts satiety, and just the act of eating soup helps slow your eating down so that your body has time to notice feelings of fullness.
Coffee
This old friend can boost more than your mood; it can boost your metabolism due to a healthy dose of the antioxidant chlorogenic acid (CGA). This antioxidant increases your body’s use of fat for energy.
Research has also shown that chemical compounds found in coffee can slow the release of glucose into the bloodstream after a meal while lowering insulin resistance to prevent weight gain.
Oatmeal
One cup of warm, gooey oatmeal contains 4 grams of fiber and 6 grams of protein, a combination that slows the digestion of carbs, reduces your insulin response, and keeps you fuller for longer.
Roasted carrots
As a side or mixed in with your favorite meats, the high water and fiber content in carrots fills you up fast. Roast them for a better calorie burn.
University of Arkansas researchers found that carrots roasted at 104 degrees contain three times as many antioxidants as raw carrots.
Red wine
In addition to being a heart helper, red wine may be a weapon against excess weight.
A 2009 report from the University of Ulm in Germany suggests that resveratrol—the renowned antioxidant found in grape skins—inhibits the production of fat cells.
Pumpkin
One cup of this good-for-you gourd contains a mere 46 calories and 3 grams of fiber. Pumpkin is also an excellent source of the antioxidant beta-carotene, which fights the oxidative stress and inflammation in the body that’s linked to increased fat storage.
Chickpeas
A half-cup serving of these hearty legumes provides about 40% of your daily protein needs and 70% of your daily fiber intake, helping to stabilize blood sugar, control cravings, and prevent overeating.
They’re also a great source healthy unsaturated fats that can whittle your waistline.
Mashed sweet potatoes
Eating sweet potatoes can prevent sugar from getting stored around your waistline as fat.
Sweet potatoes are rich in carotenoids—the orange and yellow pigments in plants that help the body respond to insulin—as well as CGA (also found in coffee). Carotenoids and CGA slow the body’s release of glucose and insulin.
Sweet potatoes are also filled with fiber, which slows digestion and prevents blood sugar from plummeting, and your hunger from spiking.