We already love eggs. Rich in vitamins, antioxidants, and healthy fats, eggs are a key component of countless recipes found in Zero Belly Breakfasts, a diet plan that can help you lose up to 14 pounds in one week! What don’t do our bodies any good, though, are some of the sides and add-ins commonly served with eggs, like fatty, processed meats and refined carbs.

Whether you prefer your eggs in omelet form or sunny side up, there are plenty of waist-friendly additions that will actually increase your dish’s fat-burning capabilities. While you can never go wrong mixing in veggies, there are other powerful pairings that might surprise you. Here are the best foods to join with your favorite breakfast protein for optimal nutrition and weight loss. Curious just how healthy eggs are for you? Check out the 12 Things That Happen to Your Body When You Eat Eggs.  Plus, try these 22 Meals to Melt Belly Fat in 2022.

Pair eggs with a healthy fat like avocado. The old-school diet myth that eating fat will make you fat has been debunked; the fruit’s monounsaturated fats have been proven to reduce belly fat. Another waist-whittling characteristic of this type of fat is its ability to boost your metabolism and give you the energy to work out harder. Starting off your day with avocado could mean more calories burned and a lower number on the scale.

If you love sunny side up eggs, grab some sprouted Ezekiel bread to soak up that yolk. Full of sprouted whole grains, you’re actually getting more protein and fiber. It also has four grams of fiber per slice, meaning you’ll stay fuller longer and less inclined to snack right when you get to work.

Cayenne pepper burns off fat at the same time it’s burning your tongue! A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that daily doses of capsaicin (the compound that makes spicy peppers spicy) boost the body’s ability to turn food into energy, meaning more fat loss. Studies also show that people eat less later in the day when they add cayenne to their meals. You don’t need a lot; just add a pinch to spice up your eggs and reap its benefits.

Next time you make eggs, skip the butter and grease the pan with coconut oil. While other types of oil pack on pounds, coconut oil sheds them by increasing your daily energy expenditure by as much as five percent. In fact, in a study of 30 men, participants lost an average of 1.1 inches around their waists when they consumed two tablespoons daily for a month. Add the oil to your breakfast and see your waist shrink! And that’s just one of the many benefits of coconut oil.

Eggs and cheese go together like peanut butter and jelly. Unfortunately, adding your favorite cheese means spiking the calorie and fat content of your breakfast. If you haven’t already tried nutritional yeast, or nooch, as a cheese substitute, get on the bandwagon! With 9 grams of protein and 4 grams of fiber in just two tablespoons, sprinkling your eggs with nooch means a lot of extra satiating nutrients to start your day off right. Unlike real cheese, it also has very little fat or sodium, and it’s a great source of B vitamins which are crucial for maintaining a healthy metabolism.

Turn your breakfast Southwestern-style and reap the benefits black beans have to offer. They’re full of protein and soluble fiber, meaning you’ll feel full and see slimming results. Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center researchers found that for every 10-gram increase in soluble fiber consumed daily, study participants’ belly fat reduced by 3.7 percent over five years. For more filling and waist-whittling foods, check out our 30 Best Foods for Fiber.

If you love pairing your eggs with bacon and sausage, try replacing them with some ground turkey. A half-ounce has just 83 calories and 11 grams of protein, with considerably less fat than other breakfast meats. Added bonus: Ground turkey is a great source of DHA omega-3 fatty acids, which have been shown to improve brain function and prevent fat cells from growing.

Try swapping out traditional grains for gluten-free, high-fiber quinoa. On the side or cooked into an omelet, it’s unique flavor and texture adds a new dimension to breakfast. With more protein than any other grain, it will keep you feeling fuller than standard toast. If you find yourself a fan of quinoa for breakfast, take a look at these salivating recipes for quinoa bowls

Don’t limit yourself to just one breakfast food. Adding oatmeal on the side with your eggs can do some serious good for your waistline. Oatmeal is one of the best sources of resistant starch, which is the good kind that digests slowly. It triggers the release of digestive acids that suppress appetite and accelerate calorie burn. One study actually found that swapping just 5 percent of daily carbs for resistant starch could boost your metabolism by an insane 23 percent!

No matter the color, adding bell peppers to your eggs is a great trick for speeding up weight loss. Bell peppers are full of vitamin C — more than twice the amount of an orange! This high vitamin C count means eating the peppers can help burn stored fat and convert carbs into fuel, keeping you energized throughout the day and slimming your waist at the same time. Try them in one of our favorite breakfast meals—shakshouka, a dish of eggs poached in a simmering sauce of peppers, tomatoes, onions, paprika, and cumin.

At only seven calories per cup, adding spinach to your eggs will add tons of nutrition without the unwanted calories. High in iron, spinach aids muscle growth and boosts strength —two reasons why Popeye is such a fan. Recent studies even link compounds in the leaf membranes called thylakoids to appetite suppressing, meaning some spinach in the morning can keep cravings at bay throughout the day. If you still feel hunger creeping up, choose these high protein snacks over their nutrient-poor counterparts.

For a spicy kick, add some sliced jalapeños to your omelet. Like cayenne pepper, jalapeños contain fat-melting capsaicin. The compound increases body heat, breaking down food faster, all while decreasing your appetite. If you’re trying to lose weight, adding spicy food to your diet is a surefire way to boost metabolism.

Before you dig into your eggs, start your meal off with a tart and tangy grapefruit. A study printed in the journal Metabolism found that eating half a grapefruit before meals could help reduce belly fat and lower cholesterol levels. Participants of the study ate grapefruit with each meal and saw their waistlines shrink by up to an inch in six weeks! Adding grapefruit to your diet can even diminish cellulite, reduce inflammation in your body, keep you hydrated, and boost your metabolism, all helping you reach all your body goals.

While many breakfasts come with a side of mixed fruit, not all varieties are equal when it comes to banishing fat. Researchers at the University of Michigan found that blueberries can help you get rid of stubborn belly fat by turning on your get-lean genes. The berries are also high in fiber and anthocyanins, which help prevent against degenerative diseases like heart disease and cancer.

If you can’t help but start your day feeling anxious, it could be affecting your weight. Stress hormones like cortisol pull lipids from the bloodstream and store them in your fat cells, even without stress eating. It turns out, a cup of tea alongside your eggs can help manage how your body reacts to stress, making a noticeable difference in your weight. Tea can also help melt fat and boost your metabolism, a few of the many reasons we love tea for weight loss.