Fat Burning & Metabolism Boosting Foods

NEW YORK (WLNY) -- Ready to slim down for summer?

Registered dietitian Heather Bauer, founder of Bestowed.com, showed us the top metabolism-boosting foods you can eat to look fit and fabulous in your bathing suit.

Try eating some of these foods:

Hot Chili Peppers. These suckers are like magic for boosting your metabolism and burning calories. Studies have shown that people who eat spicy foods tend to eat less, so hot chili peppers work double duty because they'll keep you full and rev up your metabolism. Spicy foods heat up your body so that you burn more calories, without any effort, and the great part is that there are a lot of spicy food options that don't contain too many calories.

Quinoa. It's a great vegan source of protein and fiber, so it will fight off hunger in addition to burning fat. What you may not know about quinoa is that it's actually a seed, and one of the reasons it's so great is because it's very versatile. You can eat is as part of an entrée or a side dish, or even for breakfast like you would oatmeal.  You could also add quinoa to a salad with some pear and walnuts for a tasty, satisfying meal.

Green Tea. You've probably heard that green tea can help boost your metabolism, but the reason it's helpful is because it contains a substance called EGCG, which is an antioxidant that burns calories. EGCG promotes fat oxidation in your body, and green tea in general contains no calories, which is another reason to drink up.

Dark Chocolate. As if you need a reason to indulge regularly (in moderation) in chocolate, it happens to have metabolism boosting effects as well. Dark chocolate contains flavonoids that rev up your metabolism and satisfy your sweet tooth. Look for dark chocolate that is at least 70% dark, but make sure you don't overdo it because if you overindulge, the metabolism boost will be counteracted.