The #1 Best Fruit to Eat for a Flat Belly, Says Dietitian

Trying to lose weight can be a complicated journey, especially if you're trying to give up all of the foods you love. This is a common mistake that people make, so they often end up feeling burnt out before they even begin. But what if you focused instead on the foods that you can add to your diet instead of the ones you think you might need to take away?

For example, fruit is a healthy, delicious, naturally sweet food that can help with your weight loss goals, especially if you're wanting to lose belly fat. According to Courtney D'Angelo, MS, RD, author at Go Wellness, one of the best fruits you can eat for a flat belly is an apple!

"Eating an apple a day can do more than keep the doctor away, as they are filled with healthy flavonoids and fibers that could help burn belly fat," says D'Angelo.

Apples are healthy for many different reasons, including their ability to help lower cholesterol, manage blood pressure, improve your gut health, and according to D'Angelo, help prevent abdominal fat.

"Apples are specifically rich in pectin fiber, which does two things: it promotes satiety, and it can slow down your metabolism because pectin fiber breaks down slowly," says D'Angelo. "So obviously when we feel full we won't reach in the cabinet for extra snacks, because they're also low in calories and sugar, apples make for a great fruit to eat for a flat belly."

Apples are also high in polyphenols, which come with helpful antioxidants that have been known to help with weight management and control.

One review found that eating apples on a regular basis was associated with weight loss in individuals who were already considered "overweight." And another group of Japanese studies found that apple polyphenols were specifically associated with a reduction in visceral fat, which is the "dangerous" type of fat found near your abdominal organs.

And lastly, apples can also promote belly fat loss by replacing sugary snacks. Because consistently high consumption of added sugar has been linked to greater amounts of abdominal fat, eating sugar from more natural sources like apples instead can help weight control.

If you don't want to eat them plain, try throwing some sliced apples into your bowl of oatmeal, especially because the fiber found in oatmeal has been linked to weight control. Or, you could find your favorite nut butter for a healthy dose of omega-3 fatty acids to go perfectly with an apple.

For more healthy eating tips, check out 6 Signs Your Eating Habits Are Unhealthy.