5 Flat Belly Foods

These ingredients hold the power to truly transform your body, not to mention lengthen your life. The secret is their magical "MUFA"

To the ancient Greeks, olive oil was liquid gold. For the Aztecs, chocolate was sacred. Almonds were prized by Egypt's pharaohs, and avocados have symbolized fertility for centuries. These cannot live without them foods share more than history; they also share unique health properties. They're packed with monounsaturated fatty acids, these good-for-you fats that protect you from chronic disease and, according to new research, can help you lose fat, specifically around your middle. That's why they're at the heart of the Flat Belly Diet, a unique Prevention-tested weight loss plan. There are five major categories of MUFAs: (1) oils, (2) nuts and seeds, (3) avocado, (4) olives, and (5) chocolate.

Eating one serving of any of these foods at every meal will help reduce your accumulation of dangerous belly fat; control your calorie intake and you'll lose inches and pounds, too--especially around your waistline.

You can easily fit these MUFAs into the Flat Belly Diet menu plans, but even if you're not following the diet, you can still enjoy the rich flavor of MUFAs and their numerous health benefits. For centuries, these foods and fats have been hard to resist.

1. Oils 

Pick your MUFA: Canola oil, flaxseed oil, olive oil, peanut oil, pesto sauce, safflower oil, sesame oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, walnut oil

 A serving equals: 1 tablespoon

Use them like this: Stir-fry with sesame, peanut, or canola oil; pan-fry in walnut or olive oil; spread pesto on a sandwich, drizzle it over soups or grilled foods, or toss it with rice or pasta; add walnut, sesame, or olive oil to marinades; cook with safflower, soybean, or sunflower oil; use flaxseed oil in salad dressings (flaxseed oil cannot be used for cooking) I like to put flax seed oil in my fruit shakes.  You have all of the benefits and you do not taste it.

2. Nuts & Seeds 

Pick your MUFA: Almonds, almond butter, Brazil nuts, cashew butter, chunky natural peanut butter, dry-roasted cashews, dry-roasted peanuts, dry-roasted sunflower seeds, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios, roasted pumpkin seeds, smooth natural peanut butter, sunflower seeds, sunflower seed butter, tahini (sesame seed paste), walnuts

 A serving equals: 2 tablespoons

Use them like this: Eat these foods as a snack; sprinkle on a salad; crush and use as a crunchy topping for fish and chicken (dip fish or chicken in lightly beaten egg white to help nuts adhere); spread nut butters on crackers, bread, or fruit; stir nut butters into soups and sauces to add body and flavor

3. Avocado 

Pick your MUFA: Florida avocado, Hass avocado

 A serving equals: 1/4 cup

Use them like this: Slice and serve with a salad or any entrée; mash with lime juice, salt, and pepper and serve with chips; chop and fold into store-bought salsa

4. Olives 

Pick your MUFA: Black olives, black olive tapenade, green olives, green olive tapenade

A serving equals: 10 large olives or 2 tablespoons of tapenade

Use them like this: Serve olives as a snack; sprinkle sliced olives on pizzas, salads, or pastas; spread tapenade on crackers or sandwiches; stuff tapenade into chicken breasts or fish fillets