The Flat-Belly Foods to Eat All Day Long

Updated on 9/30/2015 at 4:35 AM

POPSUGAR Photography | Nicole Perry

Dealing with bloat can be a year-round issue, even when you're not donning on a bikini. For those days when you feel sluggish, every little bit helps. Make every bite count by opting for foods that help flatten your stomach and make you feel lighter on your feet. Registered dietitian and Women's Health Contributing Editor Keri Glassman recommends eating whole, unprocessed foods in order to reset your intentions and your diet. "When you're eating whole real foods, the types of foods you should be eating on a regular basis, your body is doing a good job of cleansing itself," she explains. "For example, if you're eating lots of fruits and vegetables and you're getting a lot of fiber, your body is working to cleanse itself — your GI tract, your liver, your kidneys clean your body out."

Fresh produce tops Keri's list of foods that help you cleanse, but she recommends the following as excellent flat-belly foods for their high-fiber content and digestion-relieving properties. Read on for the list, as well as ways to incorporate them into your diet.

Fennel

Fennel is a good source of fiber and high in antioxidants and can aid in digestion by helping eliminate gas and bloat.

Try it: Try this bright fennel and orange salad, or make fennel seed tea by steeping seeds in hot water for a few minutes.

Avocado

Avocados are a good source of fiber as well as MUFAs (monounsaturated fatty acid), which studies have shown may target belly fat.

Try it: These creative ways to use avocado will help you get over avocado fatigue.

Lemons

Lemons and limes are great additions to your diet to help cleanse your system.

Try it: Start the day with a mug of hot water and lemon, or add lemon or lime to your water.

Cabbage

Cabbage can help release excess fluid and water retention, but Keri notes that, for some people, it can have the opposite effect and make them feel gassier.

Try it: These healthy cabbage recipes are a great place to start.

Fermented Foods

Fermented foods like kimchi or kefir are high in probiotics, which help eliminate gas and bloat in your belly.

Try it: Try adding a little kimchi to your cooking, or sip on kefir the next time your belly needs a little help feeling better.

Dandelion Greens

Dandelion greens help stimulate the digestive tract and have diuretic properties.

Try it: Make this detoxifying berry and dandelion greens smoothie.

Artichokes

Artichokes have a high-fiber content to help keep your digestive tract moving, as well as potassium, which helps flush out sodium from your system and debloat your belly.

Try it: Here's how to prepare an artichoke so you can enjoy it in different dishes.

Beets

Beets are a good source of fiber and protein, but to watch sugar intake, Keri suggests you don't overdo these, especially if you are on a cleanse.

Try it: This easy roasted beet salad is sure to become a favorite.