Diet, food to lose belly fat should be high in protein, say dietitians

• A 42-year-old man submitted his average meal days for review Insider Nutrition Clinic.
• One dietitian says to eat more protein and fiber, and snack extra.
• If you want your diet to be reviewed by an expert, fill out this form.

Tony, 42, turned his eating routine over to Insider Nutrition Clinicwhere qualified dietitians and registered nutritionists offer advice on readers’ eating habits.

She told Insider that her goal is to “get rid of belly fat and move towards six-pack abs.”

“I work in investment management so spend most of my time sitting,” says Tony. “I sometimes take a walk. I do well HIITs/ cardio six times a week consistently for two years, averaging 30 to 40 minutes each session. I go out as well as on the weekends, so I have a pretty active lifestyle.”

Dietitian Kerry Glassman told Insider that Tony needs to make sure he drinks enough water to keep his energy levels up, and eats a lot proteins to keep him full and promote muscle growth. He recommends adding a high protein snacks, like two hard-boiled eggs and bell peppers, four slices of turkey with cucumber, or a protein smoothie, to its day.

He it is impossible to reduce fatso to lose fat from your belly, you need to lose your overall weight, which comes from a calorie deficit: consuming fewer calories than you burn during the day.

To highlight abs, personal trainers recommend losing top fat as a first call, but you can too build muscle themselves and make them more visible with resistance training.

Focus on protein and fiber at breakfast

For breakfast, Tony usually has a bowl-sized portion of Chobani yogurt with flaxseed and sesame powder, and pistachios or almonds. Some days he eats blueberry muffins. He drinks sugar-free coffee with almond milk.

While Tony’s breakfast provides a good amount of protein, Glassman recommends mixing it up with a larger, high-protein meal as well, such as a four-egg omelet with vegetables and a slice of sourdough.

“You want to eat protein throughout the day, but starting the day with protein is very important,” says Glassman.

For this reason, it’s best to save the blueberry muffins as an occasional breakfast, or consider cutting them in half and eating them with some hard-boiled eggs for a protein boost and minimize blood sugar spikessaid Glassman.

“Breakfast lays the foundation for the day, providing satiety, blood sugar control, and hunger management for the rest of the day (if you choose the right nutrients),” says Glassman, so she recommends focusing on protein, nutrient-dense foods. healthy fats, and fiber to fill you up.

Limit instant noodles and focus on protein and whole foods

For lunch, Tony has avocado on toast with lean turkey breast. About once a week she buys instant noodles or take-out leftovers from Chinese restaurants, which are often a mix of chicken, beef, salted vegetables and fried rice, she says.

Glassman recommends swapping whole wheat bread for sprouted grain bread for an extra protein boost, eating enough turkey (at least six slices), and considering adding a side salad for extra fiber and antioxidants.

She also suggests minimizing instant noodles as they don’t contain many nutrients, and when she does eat Chinese food, opting for brown rice and doubling up on vegetables.

“Being a little more consistent with her healthy lunches will really help,” says Glassman.

Fill your plate with protein and vegetables

For dinner Tony prepares grilled fish, grilled chicken or steak with vegetables cooked in olive oil and a small bowl of mixed grains and brown rice. Sometimes he has leftovers from Chinese or Korean food, he says.

Glassman said Tony’s dinner sounded great, he might benefit from looking at his portion size of each portion of the meal, might need more protein and vegetables, and a smaller portion of rice.

Eat protein as a nighttime snack

In the evening Tony has another sugar-free coffee with almond milk, sometimes a bar of chocolate-covered vanilla ice cream, 20 to 30 salt and pepper chips, or lightly salted pistachio nuts, he says.

Glassman recommends eating a high-protein, nutrient-dense snack before bed to promote muscle growth overnight. Try a protein smoothies with Greek yogurt, or cottage cheese with berries, he says.

The advice in this article is not a substitute for professional medical diagnosis or treatment.