A fast metabolism can help you maintain a healthy weight and have more energy. The foods you eat can give your metabolism a boost and allow your body to burn calories more efficiently. Here are 8 metabolism-boosting foods to add to your diet.
1. Leafy Greens
Leafy green vegetables like spinach, kale, collards, and broccoli are low in calories but high in fiber. It takes more energy for your body to break down fiber from foods, which means you burn more calories digesting them. The minerals and phytochemicals in leafy greens also support a fast metabolism. Aim for at least 2-3 servings of leafy greens per day.
2. Citrus Fruits
Citrus fruits like oranges, grapefruits, and tangerines contain soluble fiber and vitamin C. Vitamin C plays an essential role in growth and development, protects your cells, and helps your body absorb iron more efficiently. Meanwhile, soluble fiber slows down digestion, allowing you to feel full for longer while supporting healthy insulin and blood sugar levels. Adding citrus fruits to smoothies, salads, or yogurt makes for an easy metabolism boost.
3. Hot Peppers
Spicy foods like hot peppers contain capsaicin, the compound that makes them hot. Studies show that capsaicin helps boost metabolism for a short time after eating it by raising your heart rate and body temperature. Capsaicin may also help curb appetite. Add hot peppers like jalapeños, habaneros, and cayenne to your eggs, stir-fries, and soups to give your metabolism a kick.
4. Legumes
Foods like lentils, beans, chickpeas, and peas offer resistant starch that helps boost fat burning while promoting better blood sugar control. Lentils, in particular, are rich in protein and fiber which suppresses appetite by slowing digestion and controlling blood sugar. Beans also contain minerals like iron that are essential for energy metabolism. Work legumes into soup, salad, dips, or veggie burgers.
5. Coffee
Your morning cup of joe could be doing your metabolism some good. Studies show caffeine temporarily speeds up metabolism even hours after drinking it. It works because as a stimulant, caffeine boosts your heart rate and central nervous system activity for up to three hours. Just be mindful of added cream and sugar, which add extra calories. Enjoy coffee before your workout to put that energy boost to good use!
6. Green Tea
Green tea can give your metabolism a boost in multiple ways. It contains caffeine and EGCG, an antioxidant that research shows increases fat breakdown. The flavor compound L-theanine in green tea may also stimulate your nervous system and boost the fat and calories you burn at rest. Enjoy freshly brewed, unsweetened green tea 30-60 minutes before exercise to amp up the calorie burn even more. The small amounts of caffeine won’t dehydrate you like coffee might. Look for a thermogenic fat burner with green tea extract to get more bang for your buck when you want to lose weight.
7. Nuts and Seeds
Almonds, walnuts, chia and flax seeds contain the ideal balance of healthy fats, plant-based protein, and fiber that work synergistically to stabilize blood sugar, balance hunger hormones like ghrelin and leptin, and keep our metabolism running efficiently by providing sustained energy rather than spikes and crashes.
8. Cruciferous Vegetables
The compounds found in nutrient-dense cruciferous veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and cabbage actively support detox enzymes in the liver and digestive tract, optimizing the removal of waste and toxins to avoid metabolic slowdown. With extra fiber too, these greens cleanse the body inside out.
Focusing on whole, minimally processed foods like fruits, vegetables, eggs, fish, and legumes gives your metabolism continual support. Along with a regular exercise routine, these 7 metabolism-friendly foods will help keep your body energized and efficient at burning calories.
