A Day Flat-Belly Meal Plan

Getting rid of belly fat isn't just about fitting into skinny jeans—research shows that people with less visceral belly fat (the fat that surrounds your organs) have a decreased risk for type 2 diabetes and heart disease. So not only will losing fat help you look and feel better, it will also help ward off dangerous health issues. While there isn't one magic food that will melt away belly fat, studies have reported certain foods have special belly-fat-burning benefits, such as avocado, artichokes, whole grains, kefir, green tea, eggs, peanuts and chickpeas. These foods work in different ways to help shrink fat cells and decrease waist circumference. This 7-day meal plan incorporates these flat-belly foods, plus vegetables, whole grains, fruits and healthy fats and protein, in delicious ways to help make it easier to lose belly fat and feel great.

Read More: Foods to Lose Belly Fat & How They Work 10 easy fat burning breakfast recipes

How to Meal Prep You Week of Meals:

1. Prep the Flat-Belly Salad ahead of time if you'll be out and about on Day 1. Save the extra 3 servings to have throughout the week. 
2. Make the  Chile-Lime Peanuts to have throughout the week.
3. Meal-prep 2 batches of Basic Quinoa to have throughout the week. Freeze any leftovers for easy use down the road.
4. When making the Chickpea Pasta with Lemony-Parsley Pesto for dinner on Day 2, make the associated recipe for the Sheet-Pan Roasted Vegetables. You'll use some on Day 2 and will use the leftovers on Days 4 & 5.

Flat-Belly Bonus: Chickpeas are a flat-belly food with 5 grams of fiber and 5 grams of protein in 1/2 cup. Those nutrients fill you up and stabilize your blood sugar to keep you satisfied. Plus, chickpea eaters have waists 2 inches smaller than people who don't eat the bean. Today's Flat-Belly Salad at lunch delivers belly-fat burning chickpeas and artichokes.

Breakfast (342 calories, 4 g fiber)

• 1 serving Avocado & Kale Omelet
• 8 oz. brewed green tea

A.M. Snack (182 calories, 5 g fiber)

Easy Cucumber Salad
• 1 1/2 cups cucumber slices
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• Pinch each of salt & pepper
• Dried dill to taste (optional)

Combine cucumber slices, lemon juice, salt, pepper and dill in a bowl for a quick and easy cucumber salad.

• 8 whole-wheat crackers

Lunch (390 calories, 12 g fiber)

• 2 cups Flat-Belly Salad

Meal-Prep Tip: Save the rest of the salad to have tonight at dinner and later in the week. Pack the dressing and the salad separately and make sure your veggies are throughly dried before packing them together.