The foods nutritionists always eat

Nutritionists know our metabolism—the rate at which we torch kilojoules—is largely out of our hands, being that it's determined by our age, height and genes. However, they also know a few sneaky ways to ramp up the body's energy use. One is exercise, and the other is putting the right foods on your plate. We got the scoop on what people in the nutrition world eat to boost the burn.

SWEET POTATOES AND LENTILS

Nutritionist Marjorie Nolan Cohn, owner of MNC Nutrition in New York, reaches for foods high in resistant starch, a unique kind of fibre. "Resistant starch isn't digested by the small intestine, which means it enters the large intestine whole, where it ferments," she explains. A study in the journal Nutrition & Metabolism found that replacing just 5.4% of total carbohydrate intake with resistant starch increased fat-burning after a meal by 20 to 30%. Cohn's resistant starches of choice are lentils and sweet potatoes, which are also nutrient-dense, so they help to keep cravings at bay. 

CHIA AND FLAX SEEDS

Certified Nutritional Counsellor Jennifer Salos adds flaxseed and chia seeds to her foods because they're a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, which help rev the metabolism by reducing inflammation and balancing blood sugar. "When inflammation is low, we have less muscle and joint pain and are more likely to feel like exercising. And when blood sugar is stable, we tend to have fewer cravings, eat less, and feel more satisfied after meals," she says. Omega-3 fatty acids may also lower our body's resistance to the hormone leptin, which signals fullness and, as researchers from Monash University found, increases how fast fat is burned.

TUNA AND SALMON

Dietitian Patricia Bannan, author of Eat Right When Time Is Tight, reaches for protein in the form of tuna or salmon. "Because protein is more difficult for the body to break down and digest than other nutrients, it can increase postmeal calorie burn by as much as 35%," she says. If you aren't into fish, Bannan recommends these other great protein sources: eggs, Greek yoghurt, cottage cheese, nuts and beans.