Complete List of Negative Calorie Foods

Complete List of Negative Calorie Foods
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What does negative calorie mean?

The truth is all foodstuffs contain some caloric value. There are certain foods, however, that require more energy for the body to digest than the calories they contain thus more fat is burned by eating such foods.

This is the premise behind the negative calorie diet. It takes energy to break down and digest the foods we eat but plant based foods such as vegetables are more difficult to digest because of their cellular composition. Celery is an example of a negative calorie food. The body uses more calories to digest the food than the celery contains which is why it is referred to as a negative calorie food. Let’s examine a complete list of negative calorie foods.

Negative Calorie Foods

The following is a list of fruits and vegetables that are known as negative calorie foods.

  • Green beans contain 43.75 calories in a one cup serving and are rich in vitamin K, C, and A as well as manganese, potassium and dietary fiber.
  • Apples are rich in vitamin C and a good source of dietary fiber. A medium sized apple contains approximately 200 calories.
  • Carrots are an excellent source of vitamins A, C, K, and potassium. They are also a good source of thiamin, niacin, and dietary fiber. A one ounce serving of carrots contains 11 calories.
  • Pineapple is low in sodium and a good source of vtamin C, B6, thiamin, and manganese. A one ounce serving contains 13 calories.
  • Onions are low in sodium, cholesterol, and saturated fat. They are a good source of vitamins C, B6, manganese, potassium, folate, and dietary fiber. One cup of chopped onion contains 64 calories.
  • Papaya is low in sodium, cholesterol, and saturated fat. It is a good source of vitamins A and C as well as potassium, folate, and dietary fiber. One cup of cubed papaya contains 55 calories.
  • Lettuce is very low in cholesterol and saturated fat. It is a good source of vitamins A, C, K, B6, and thiamin. It also contains protein, calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, folate, and riboflavin. One cup of shredded green leaf lettuce contains 5 calories.
  • Grapefruit is low in sodium, cholesterol, and saturated fat. It is an excellent source of vitamin C and a good source of potassium as well as dietary fiber. A one ounce serving of grapefruit contains 9 calories.
  • Cabbage is an excellent source of dietary fiber as well as calcium, iron, potassium, thiamin, magnesium, and phosphorus. It also contains folate, manganese, and vitamins C, K, and B6. One cup of chopped cabbage contains 22 calories.
  • Endive is very low in cholesterol and low in saturated fat. It is a good source of vitamins A, C, E, and K as well as thiamin, magnesium, phosphorus, folate, iron, calcium, zinc, copper, and manganese. One half cup of raw chopped endive contains 4 calories.
  • Chili peppers are low in sodium, cholesterol, and saturated fat. They are a good source of vitamins A, C, K, and B6 as well as copper, niacin, iron, and phosphorus. One pepper contains 18 calories.
  • Lemons are low in saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium. They are an excellent source of vitamin C and dietary fiber. One ounce of lemon contains 8 calories.
  • Melons are low in sodium and even lower in cholesterol and saturated fat. They are an excellent source of vitamin C and a good source of vitamin B6, folate, and potassium. One ounce of melon contains 10 calories.
  • Oranges are an excellent source of vitamin C and dietary fiber. They are very low in sodium, cholesterol, and saturated fat. Oranges are a good source of calcium, thiamin, and folate. One orange contains 100 calories.
  • Mangos are a good source of vitamins A, C, and B6 as well as dietary fiber. They are very low in cholesterol, sodium, and saturated fat. A one ounce serving contains 18 calories.
  • Raspberries are high in dietary fiber, manganese, and vitamin C. They are also a good source of vitamin K and magnesium. One cup of raspberries contains 64 calories.
  • Strawberries are very low in sodium, cholesterol, and saturated fat. They are rich in vitamin C, manganese, and dietary fiber. One cup of whole strawberries contains 46 calories.
  • Radishes are a good source of vitamin C, B6, riboflavin, calcium, copper, and manganese. A one ounce serving contains 4 calories.
  • Turnips are a good source of protein, dietary fiber, vitamins A, C, E, B6, and K as well as iron, copper, potassium, and folate. One cup of chopped, raw turnips contains 18 calories.
  • Zucchini is a good source of vitamins A, C, K, and B6 as well as thiamin, niacin, phosphorus, copper, and potassium. One cup of chopped zucchini contains 20 calories.
  • Garlic is low in sodium, cholesterol, and saturated fat. It is a good source of vitamins C, B6, manganese, calcium, and phosphorus. One clove of garlic contains 4 calories.
  • Cucumbers are rich in vitamins C and K. They are low in sodium, cholesterol, and saturated fat and are a good source of thiamin, folate, copper, potassium, and magnesium. One ounce of raw cucumber contains 3 calories.
  • Broccoli is an excellent source of vitamins A, C, K, and B6. It is also a good source of calcium, iron, folate, potassium, and manganese. One cup of chopped, raw broccoli contains 31 calories.
  • Cauliflower is a good source of protein and dietary fiber. It is rich in vitamins C, K, B6, folate, potassium, and manganese. One cup of raw cauliflower contains 25 calories.
  • Asparagus is an excellent source of protein, vitamins A, C, K, B6, E, potassium, thiamin, copper, and iron. One cup of raw asparagus contains 27 calories.
  • Celery is very low in cholesterol and a good source of vitamins A, C, K, folate, potassium, manganese and dietary fiber. One cup of chopped celery contains 16 calories.
  • Cranberries are a good source of vitamins C, E, and K as well as manganese and dietary fiber. A one ounce serving of raw cranberries contains 13 calories.
  • Beets are very low in saturated fats and cholesterol. They are a good source of vitamin C, folate, iron, magnesium, manganese, potassium, and dietary fiber. A one ounce serving of beets contains 12 calories.
  • Tangerines are low in sodium, cholesterol, and saturated fat. They are a good source of dietary fiber as well as vitamins A and C. A one ounce serving of raw tangerines contains 15 calories.
  • Watermelon is very low in sodium, cholesterol, and saturated fat. It is a good source of vitamins A, C, and potassium. A one ounce serving contains 8 calories.
  • Plums are a good source of vitamins A, C, K and dietary fiber. They are low in sodium, cholesterol, and saturated fats. A one ounce serving of contains 13 calories.
  • Prunes are low in sodium, cholesterol, and saturated fat. They are a good source of vitamin K and dietary fiber. One cup of pitted prunes contains 418 calories.
  • Apricots are very low in sodium, cholesterol, and saturated fat. They are an excellent source of vitamins A, C, potassium, and dietary fiber. One apricot contains 17 calories.

The Negative Calorie Diet

The negative calorie diet is based on the premise that you will lose weight by eating zero calorie foods because they cause the body to burn more calories than the foods contain. However, is this healthy?

As with any diet, a negative calorie diet can be taken to extremes. Losing too much weight quickly is never healthy. The goal of any diet is to lose weight and keep the weight off. Once you stop dieting, the pounds may be gained again. The same is true for the negative calorie diet. Eating a balanced diet is a healthy way to lose or maintain weight, but eating only negative calorie food is not a balanced diet. The best course of action is to adopt healthy eating habits that include adding negative calorie fruits and vegetables to your daily diet.

Pros and Cons of Eating Negative Calorie Foods

Negative calorie fruits and vegetables contain vitamins and minerals necessary for optimum health. Negative calorie foods also help increase metabolism. According to a study published in the journal Thorax, researchers collected and examined data between 1995 and 2005 from 50,000 children aged 8 to 12 from 20 different countries and found that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables as well as fish, reduce the risk of asthma and wheezing.

Both vitamin C and E are related to improved lung function. Very low calorie or negative calorie diets are not for everyone. Such diets are not recommended for teens, people over 50, women who are pregnant or breastfeeding as well as people with pre-existing health conditions. Although negative calorie fruits and vegetables do have their benefits, they should be added to meals rather than replacing them completely. A healthy diet is one that consists of balanced meals composed of each food group. By the way, the best negative calorie beverage is water. It contains no calories but the body burns calories when you drink it.

References

MyFit.ca - Negative Calorie Foods

https://www.myfit.ca/negative_calorie_foods.asp

The Diet Channel - Negative Calorie Diet

https://www.thedietchannel.com/Negative-calorie-diet.htm

WebMD - Obesity, Weight Loss and Very Low Calorie Diets

https://www.webmd.com/diet/guide/low-calorie-diets

Nutrition Data - Nutrition Facts

https://www.nutritiondata.com/facts/fruits-and-fruit-juices/1827/2