3 Easy Food Replacements for Belly Fat Loss
Optimal belly fat loss comes from eating a healthy diet above all else. Sure, you can workout hard and do crunches each day—and those are great exercises for your health. But to really see results, it’s important to remember that abs are dependent on what you make in the kitchen.
So, make sure your focus is on eating healthy!
And with some healthy tweaks, you’ll be surprised how fast changes happen in your body. The three simple substitutions in this post allow you to still eat the dishes you love but with healthier alternatives… and that’s what truly helps you boost that belly fat loss!
Healthy Substitution #1: Rice
Rice is a common meal staple, but the type of rice is important here.
White rice has been stripped of the fiber and nutrition that it once had, so you’ll want to avoid it and it’s empty calories. BUT options like brown rice or cauliflower rice can be great for your health!
Not sure how to make cauliflower rice (or even what it is)? Don’t miss out! It tastes great and works as an awesome white rice substitute. Here’s how to do it:
What you’ll need:
- A head of cauliflower
- 1 tbsp of olive oil
- salt and pepper, to taste
- A food processor with the grating blade
- A large skillet
Wash and trim any stems or leaves off the cauliflower. With a knife, chop it into pieces and add them to the food processor. Run the processor until you get a consistency that is rice-like.
Add the “rice” to your skillet with the olive oil and cook for 5 minutes on medium heat. Add salt and pepper, as needed.
And, you’re done! You can use this as you would in any traditional rice meals.
Healthy Substitution #2: Noodles
Like traditional rice, a lot of noodles you’ll find in restaurant dishes are pretty devoid of nutrition. They are usually made with enriched white flour that has little health.
Instead, opt for noodles that are more wholesome. If you eat wheat, whole wheat pasta can be a good choice. Brown rice pasta is a good option sometimes, although it doesn’t have the same amount of fiber and B vitamins in whole wheat noodles.
And an even BETTER food substitution for belly fat loss? Zucchini noodles! It might sound weird, but you won’t be disappointed in these. Here’s how to make zucchini noodles:
What you’ll need:
- Zucchinis (as many as you need to make your desired servings. If you’re just making them for yourself, 1-2 medium or large zucchinis is probably good.)
- A vegetable peeler
- Your favorite healthy pasta sauce
Wash the zucchini. Then, take the vegetable peeler and run it slowly down the sides of the zucchini so you make long, thin noodles. Do this until you meet the seedy part of the vegetable.
You don’t have to cook these! Just toss them with your favorite sauce—and try to make it one that’s tomato-based instead of cream-based. Even better for bonus points: make your own healthy pasta sauce by blending up some canned tomatoes with Italian spices, a little sweetener like maple syrup, and a little salt!
Healthy Substitution #3: Breads
Obviously, noodles and rice won’t work for every dish that you want to eat. And they especially aren’t that helpful for when you want to eat out at a restaurant. What about meals that traditionally contain bread or tortillas?
The problem with these dishes is that, just like rice and noodles, they are almost always made with refined products. White bread and tortillas give you that dreaded blood sugar spike… and crash… that leads you to eat more and more foods that aren’t nutritious.
So, check the restaurant menu to see if they offer any whole grain options, like whole wheat bread or tortillas. Some might even have brown rice tortillas. But if that isn’t the case, here’s what you can do:
If you order a dish like a burger, sandwich, or taco, ask the server if it can be wrapped in lettuce instead of using the bread or tortillas. If that’s not an option, you can ask if the dish be served on a salad or greens.
Give yourself this next month to try out each of these substitutions. They are great solutions for speeding up belly fat loss and giving you more health in each meal!
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