Abs Are Made in the Kitchen

If you’re looking to get a six pack, switching up your diet is essential.

Certain foods can boost metabolism, enhance fat burning, and keep you feeling full between meals.

Meanwhile, others contribute little more than extra calories and sugar, increasing your risk of weight gain and excess body fat.

How to eat for defined abs

Surprisingly, your kitchen is a great place to start building abs. It’s important to fill your diet with lots of nutritious, whole foods, such as fruits, veggies, whole grains, healthy fats, and high-protein items.

These foods are not only high in micronutrients and antioxidants but also low in calories. Thus, they can support weight loss and increase fat burning.

However, it’s important to focus on overall fat loss rather than spot reduction, which involves targeting a specific area of your body, such as your belly, for weight loss or fat burning.

Despite the popularity of this technique in the fitness industry, studies show that spot reduction is generally ineffective.

Additionally, keep in mind that diet isn’t the only factor when it comes to getting more defined abs.

In fact, getting regular physical activity is just as crucial to burning calories and toning your muscles.

Foods to eat

Fruits and vegetables

Aside from hitting the gym, choosing the right foods can help you get abs quicker. Here are a few of the best foods to eat on an ab-building diet.

Fruits and veggies are very nutrient-dense, meaning that they’re low in calories but high in antioxidants, fiber, and an assortment of vitamins and minerals.

Whole grains

Whole grains like oats, barley, buckwheat, and quinoa can be a great addition to your diet if you’re looking to get abs.

Some research suggests that eating whole grains can reduce appetite and influence your body’s energy use, both of which can affect body composition.

Nuts and seeds

Nuts and seeds provide the perfect balance of fiber, protein, and healthy fats, all of which can be incredibly beneficial for getting abs.

Pistachios, walnuts, almonds, pecans, and Brazil nuts are all great nuts to incorporate into your diet, alongside seeds like chia, flax, pumpkin, and hemp.

Fatty fish

Fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, tuna, and sardines are packed with omega-3 fatty acids, which play a key role in heart health, brain function, inflammation, and weight control.

Foods to avoid

Besides adding healthy ab-building foods to your diet, you should avoid a few that may harm your waistline or overall health.

Here are a few items that you should limit or cut out completely if you want to get abs.

Sugar-sweetened drinks

Sugary drinks like soda, sports drinks, and juice can increase body fat and stall progress on getting abs.

Fried foods

In addition to being high in calories, fried foods like French fries, chicken strips, and mozzarella sticks are also high in trans fats.

Trans fats are produced via hydrogenation, a process that allows oils to remain solid at room temperature.

Alcohol

In moderation, an alcoholic beverage here and there can be enjoyed as part of a healthy, ab-building diet.

However, excessive drinking can harm both your health and your waistline.

Refined grains

Refined grains like white rice, bread, and pasta have been stripped of many nutrients during processing to extend shelf life and improve texture.

The bottom line

If you want to get a six pack, changing your diet is key.

Fruits, veggies, whole grains, nuts, seeds, legumes, fatty fish, and tea can all help accelerate fat burning and improve body composition.

Meanwhile, you’ll want to avoid fried foods, sugary snacks, refined grains, sugar-sweetened beverages, and excessive alcohol intake.

For best results, be sure to combine your nutritious, ab-building diet with a regular exercise routine and healthy lifestyle.