10 Foods with Negative Calories
Among the recent concepts in diet and nutrition, foods with negative calories have evoked a lot of interest. There are certain foods which burn more calories in the process of chewing and digestion when compared to the number of calories it adds to the body. Eating such foods creates a calorie-deficit in the system and hence the term negative calories. Some dieticians are of the opinion that foods with negative calories can aid weight loss while others point out that since the amount of calories the body burns in fueling the digestive cycle are minuscule compared with the calories in the food itself, simply eating such foods are unlikely to shed weight. No matter which side of the debate you are inclined to believe, here are ten foods with negative calories which can get you started on a healthy diet.
- Celery
Foods which are high in dietary fiber usually figure foremost in the list of negative calorie foods and one of these is celery. In itself, celery is a low calorie food but the effort which is required chewing and digestion of this high fiber food may well be able endear itself to weight watchers who are eager to cut down on calories.
- Cabbage
This vegetable is the mainstay of the Cabbage Soup Diet which is avidly followed by many dieters across the world. Raw cabbage contains just 25 calories in 100 grams but we use more energy to chew it and some more to digest it. Thus cabbage burns more calories than it actually gives, which makes it a negative calorie food.
- Lettuce
Like the above two, lettuce is another vegetable that is high in fiber content and hence forces the body to burn calories simply to masticate and digest it. And since one cup of shredded or chopped lettuce, which roughly weighs about 55 grams, contains only eight calories you can go ahead and load up on all that lettuce while tossing a salad.
- Cucumber
One half cup of cucumber slices measuring around 52 grams again contains only eight calories; this makes it another vegetable that will need way more calories to be chewed and digested, resulting in a net loss of calories from our body fat.
- Carrot
Not only is carrot rich in a variety of nutrients including Vitamin A, Vitamin C and Potassium, this vegetable can also help you to burn your calories. For instance while one cup of chopped carrot roughly weighs 128 grams, it provides only 52 calories. This effectually means that munching on carrots will help you to feel full and in the process result in far fewer intake in calories as compared to pasta or rice.
- Green beans
There are many varieties of green beans but almost all are rich sources of nutrients. They are not only a good source of protein for vegetarians but also contain nutrients like, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin b6, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and copper. Their significance among weight loss foods lies in the fact that green beans are a very good source of dietary fiber and hence help to burn calories even in the process of chewing and digestion.
- Apple
Among fruits, apple is one of the best sources of dietary fiber which helps the body to feel full and consequently consume less of high calorie foods like chips and desserts. In fact researchers at Pennsylvania State University1 studied how the consumption of apples in different forms affects calorie intake. The study found that people who ate an apple about fifteen minutes before lunch consumed almost 190 fewer calories than when they didn't have the apple. A medium apple has around seventy to eighty calories and three grams of fiber. If you are planning to try this for your own weight loss program, it might more sense to keep the peel on since the outer cover not only increases fiber content but often contains higher nutrients too.
- Blueberry
Like other berries, the health benefits of blueberries may lie more in their nutritional array rather than as weight loss capacity. Blueberries are a rich source of Vitamin C, oxidants and potassium among other vitamins and minerals. A cup of blueberries contains 95 calories. If you base your diet on the suggested intake of 2,000 calories daily, then one cup of blueberries comprises less than five percent of your daily calories while keeping you full as a mid-day snack.
- Grapefruit
The ideal negative calorie food is one which is high in fiber requiring more calories to burn it but at the same time, full of water which means it has minimum calories of its own. Grapefruit is one such fruit which contains both dietary fiber and water.
- Honey-dew melon, watermelon
Even more than varieties of melons like honey-dew melon and the appropriately named water-melon add but add bulk and volume to the stomach with their high water content. Thus such foods help you to feel full and reduce the cravings for other calorie-rich foods. Thus even though they may not be technically negative calorie foods themselves – foods which burn more calories than they add to the body – such water rich fruits can help in weight loss.
In the end though negative calorie foods will make a difference to your body weight only when they are a part of larger weight loss program. Thus eating a bowl of cucumber alone will not help in weight loss. You have to eat them as a substitute for potato chips and brownies. In other words, you can’t eat a chocolate muffin and then try to burn off the calories by chomping on a bowl of cucumber. The only way to make this work is to eat that bowl of cucumber first, leaving very little or no space for that calorie-high muffin. Apart from helpful in losing weight, most foods marked as negative calorie foods also contain essential vitamins and nutrients as well that aid weight loss and improve health. And yet living any major changes to your diet must only be carried out after consultation with a qualified dietician or nutritionist. This is because an excess of even a good thing can be ultimately bad for the body. Thus if you start living only on celery sticks and cabbage soup, you will be cutting off sources of many essential nutrients like protein, healthy fats and minerals like calcium and iron. So while you include negative-calorie foods in your diet, ensure that they are a part of a holistic and healthy diet plan.
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