What should I eat to lose belly fat?
Eat fewer calories, mostly from filling foods. No single food burns belly fat. But in big studies, a few foods went with less deep belly fat, and one drink stood out.
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What is a healthy diet to lose belly fat?
One that gives you fewer calories than your body uses. The NHS says women use around 2,000 calories a day and men around 2,500.
Belly fat comes off as part of that. In a review of 117 studies, diets cut the deep fat around your organs. The more weight people lost, the more of that fat went.
How a diet takes belly fat off
- 1
Fewer calories
Eat and drink less than your body uses.
- 2
Steady loss
Aim for 0.5 to 1 kg a week.
- 3
Deep fat falls
Belly fat goes down as your weight does.
Sources: NHS; Verheggen 2016
The trick is eating less without feeling starved. So fill your plate with foods that keep you full for fewer calories.
Wondering about low carb, low fat or 5:2? See the best diet to lose weight. Then pick two swaps from the next section to start this week.
What are the best foods to lose belly fat?
| Food | What the evidence says | Easy swap |
|---|---|---|
| Wholegrains | People who ate the most had less deep belly fat. Refined grains went with more. | White bread to wholemeal, white rice to brown. |
| Oats and fruit | Each extra 10 g of their kind of fibre a day went with slower belly fat gain. | Sugary cereal to porridge. Add beans or lentils to stews. |
| A green Mediterranean diet: walnuts, green tea, less red meat | In one trial, this diet cut deep belly fat by 14%, against 4% on standard advice. | A small handful of walnuts in place of biscuits. |
| Vegetables and fruit | The NHS says aim for 5 A Day. A portion is 80 g. | Fill half your plate with veg. |
Sources: McKeown 2010; Hairston 2012; BDA; Zelicha 2022; NHS
The wholegrain and fibre studies compared what people already ate. They show a link, not proof that the food caused it.
The fibre in oats and fruit is the kind the BDA calls soluble fibre. A US study followed African American and Hispanic American adults for 5 years. Each extra 10 g a day went with 3.7% slower gain of deep belly fat.
The green Mediterranean trial ran for 18 months in 294 people, mostly men, and everyone also exercised. It added 3 to 4 cups of green tea a day and a plant shake.
Most adults eat about 20 g of fibre a day, and the guideline is 30 g. See high-fibre foods for easy ways to close the gap.
Which drinks add to belly fat?
The drink that stood out is sugary drinks, such as sugary fizzy drinks. A US study scanned 1,003 adults 6 years apart.
Source: Ma 2016
Diet fizzy drinks were not linked to belly fat change. Again, this is a link, not proof.
A can of cola can hold 9 cubes of sugar. That is more than the adult limit of 30 g of free sugars a day, about 7 cubes. Fruit juice and smoothies count too.
Alcohol is high in calories. Keep to 14 units a week or less. If you drink that much, spread it over 3 or more days.
Your first move: swap sugary drinks for water, with lemon or lime if you like. More in how much sugar a day.
How do I know if my belly fat is too much?
Grab a tape measure. Measure halfway between your lowest rib and the top of your hip bone. It is often not your jeans size.
| Who | Healthy waist | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Adults with a BMI under 35 | Less than half your height | NHS |
| All women | Less than 80 cm (31.5 in) | Diabetes UK |
| Most men | Less than 94 cm (37 in) | Diabetes UK |
| South Asian men | Less than 90 cm (35 in) | Diabetes UK |
Sources: NHS; Diabetes UK
Why it matters: with extra weight around your middle, fat can build up around your liver and pancreas. The pancreas is the organ that makes insulin, the hormone that keeps blood sugar in check. This can make insulin work less well and raise your chance of high blood sugar.
Write your number down and measure again in a month. See what your waist adds to BMI and blood tests linked to belly fat.
Do I need exercise too?
It helps. Diet caused more weight loss than exercise in the 117-study review. But exercise tended to cut more deep belly fat.
With no weight loss at all, exercise went with a 6.1% fall in deep belly fat. Diet alone showed almost none. So do both.
Six NHS changes to start this week
- Swap sugary drinks for water.
- Swap sugary cereal for a wholegrain one or porridge.
- Aim for 5 A Day. A portion is 80 g of fresh, canned or frozen fruit or veg.
- Read food labels. More green than amber and red is often the healthier choice.
- Don’t skip meals. You may end up snacking more because you feel hungry.
- Get active for 150 minutes a week, in short sessions if that is easier.
For moves that help, see belly fat exercises after 50.
When to speak to a GP
The NHS says to see a GP if your BMI is overweight or obese and:
- you want help to lose weight
- your waist is more than half your height
- you have pre-diabetes, diabetes, high blood pressure, joint pain, high cholesterol, sleep apnoea (breathing stops and starts in your sleep) or heart and circulation disease
- obesity runs in your family
- you have, or think you may have, an eating disorder, such as binge eating
Don’t try to lose weight suddenly with diets. The NHS advises steady loss instead.