You always find various diet plans and foods from around that help you lose weight. But, have you ever heard of any diet plans or foods related to Africa that actually help you lose weight and maintain a healthy body?

Although underrated and pretty undiscovered, African foods and diet plans are extremely beneficial and healthy, and as an African Dietitian myself, I highly recommend you try these foods in your diet plan. Here are a few things you can try –

1. Plantain – These are lesser sweet, big and yet starchy fruits that belong to the banana family. Just like bananas, plantains are amazing source of resistant starch, and can be eaten whether it’s ripe or unripe. I recommend roasting, baking or boiling, and pairing it with leafy green vegetable such as spinach and collard greens, for a fiber rich and filling meal.

2. Salmon – Salmon is rich in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, which could help speed up weight loss: a recent report found that members who ate more MUFAs lost an average of 9 pounds, while the individuals who ate an essentially low-fat diet picked up an average of 6 pounds. Salmon is also rich in omega 3 fatty acids, which is helpful for reducing inflammation in the body and protecting against heart disease.

3. Orange – Oranges are low in calories and contain a lot of fiber, helping you to feel full for a longer duration of time. You can try different kinds of oranges like blood oranges, and caracara oranges. Each variety is equally delicious and packed with disease fighting antioxidant vitamin C.

4. Chili Pepper – Chili pepper contains a sort of chemical compound called capsaicin and that actually can increase your body’s ability to burn fat (as much as 90 extra calories following a meal). You can add it to many kinds of foods like; omelets, moimoi, jollof rice, pepper soup etc. The best part is that it increases the taste of the food and enhances flavors.

There are other African foods that are beneficial in aiding weight loss and helping to improve your health. However these are easily accessible foods that you can incorporate into your diet effortlessly.