The worst foods to eat for a flat belly are those high in refined sugars and carbohydrates. From processed and fried foods to sugary beverages, these foods often contain unhealthy fats and empty calories that contribute to bloating and fat accumulation around the abdomen. It is important to learn which foods to avoid for a flatter stomach in order to promote a healthier diet and weight loss efforts.
10 Foods to Avoid for a Flat Belly
1. Soda
When it comes to having a flat belly look, drinking a soda is the absolute worst thing to do. Soda is packed with sugar, and there is no nutritional value, meaning the body gains nothing but added weight from the sugary beverage.
Unfortunately, diet soda isn’t any better as artificial sweeteners can actually make you hungrier and lead to increased food consumption, making them bad for a flat belly as well. Regardless of how you look at it, even drinking a diet soda could go right to your belly, so it’s better to skip this beverage entirely and stick to plain water.
2. Fast Food
Most food that comes from a drive-thru isn’t good when trying to get a flat belly. Fast food is packed with fats, oils, sodium, and worst of all, calories. Burgers at a fast-food restaurant can often have more sodium than if you were making the same burger yourself at home.
Sometimes people try to solve this by ordering a salad instead, but even a salad at a fast-food restaurant isn’t good for a flat belly. Fast food salads often have extremely fatty and sodium-packed dressings to pour on by the cup, as well as fatty toppings like bacon bits and cheese that make them just as calorie-dense as burgers.
3. Candy
Similar to soda, there is no nutritional value and only sugar to be found in candy. Not only that, but sugar-free candies have the same fake sugars as diet soda which can increase your appetite after you consume them.
Fake sugars like mannitol and sorbitol are some of the worst culprits. These sugars are hard to digest, and the body will produce gas while attempting to do so, causing bloating and the opposite of a flat stomach effect.
Sugar-free gums and mints often contain these same ingredients. So, instead of having a few before a big event, resolve to brushing your teeth.
4. Flavored Yogurts
Yogurt, on its own, is very healthy for your body and can be an essential part of maintaining a healthy gut microbiome. The minute flavors are introduced, however, the sugar, fat, and sodium content of yogurt increases, making it difficult to keep a flat belly.
Even fruit flavors are guilty of this, and checking the label of any fruit-flavored yogurt will reveal hidden ingredients such as sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and artificial colorings that can cause bloating and weight gain. Choose plain flavored yogurts whenever possible and add fresh fruit and a drizzle of honey instead.
5. Alcohol
Even in the smallest amounts, alcohol can do serious harm to a flat belly regimen. Loaded with sugars and with no nutritional value, most alcoholic beverages contain excess calories that the body often converts directly to fat.
Not only that, but excessive drinking can throw off the gut microbiome and cause sleep problems, two additional factors that can lead to weight gain in the belly area.
6. White Bread
Bread isn’t necessarily bad when it comes to trying to attain a flat stomach. That is, as long as the type of bread consumed contains vital vitamins and nutrients and is eaten with healthy ingredients like vegetables.
White bread, while tasty, has little nutritional value and can cause a blood sugar spike, leaving the consumer hungry just a few minutes after eating and ending up eating more bread which doesn’t help with keeping a flat stomach. Instead of reaching for white bread when making lunch, look for multigrain brands, or better yet, one with sprouts and seeds in it.
7. Potato Chips
Similar to French fries, and fried foods in general, potato chips have very little nutritional value and can hinder a flat belly. They are also loaded with saturated fats which are often converted right to fat by the body. If this wasn’t enough, potato chips also cause water retention and bloating, which can leave your midsection looking larger than before—ruining any chances of a flat-stomached look.
While you don’t have to ban potato chips from your diet completely, it’s important to portion them out and not eat directly out of the bag. When possible, pair them with a healthy meal and drink lots of water to counteract the salt content if you do decide to indulge.
8. Cruciferous Vegetables
Vegetables like cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts are what are known as cruciferous vegetables. While they are good for you, these vegetables aren’t a good idea if you have an event you want to maintain a flat belly for.
Cruciferous vegetables make it very difficult for your body to break down, leading to gas and bloating. These vegetables also contain a high level of sulfur, which can cause the resulting gas to smell extremely unpleasant.
9. Beans
Beans, like cruciferous vegetables, are an important part of a healthy diet, but they aren’t a good idea when you want that flat belly look. Beans are a type of legume (along with lentils and chickpeas), and they are full of fiber which is difficult for the stomach to digest. Too many beans can quickly lead to uncomfortable bloating and gas.
To help lower the impact on your gut, choose beans and legumes that are already a bit broken down, such as hummus or bean spreads. While these can still be tough on the stomach, you can enjoy them in small amounts without worrying about too much bloating before a social event.
10. Dairy Products
Dairy products are one of the ultimate causes of stomach bloating. Not only are dairy products difficult for most individuals to digest, but they also contain high levels of fat and should be consumed sparingly.
The belly-bloating effects of dairy are even worse for those with a lactose intolerance, therefore it’s just best to avoid them before a night out. Choose dairy-free dressings when consuming a salad and skip soups with heavy cream (such as clam chowder) to keep your stomach looking its best.
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