What are negative calorie foods? And how can something you eat have fewer than zero calories?
Technically, there is no such thing as a negative calorie intake. Almost all foods contain calories (water has no calories, which is the lowest amount you can get).
But it also takes some effort from us to eat or drink. When we eat or drink, we consume calories.
So the diet industry has decided that a food that takes more effort to eat or a drink to serve is called a negative calorie food.
Before you get too excited, the list of these foods is not very long and not very exciting either. You certainly won’t be able to make an entire diet out of it:
- apples
- asparagus
- beets
- blueberry
- Broccoli
- melon
- carrot
- cauliflower
- Celery stalk
- Celery root
- Cranberries
- option
- eggplant
- dandelion
- Garden cress
- garlic
- grapefruit
- green beans
- green cabbage
- Lemon
- lettuce
- onion
- papaya
- pineapple
- peach
- radish
- raspberry
- spinach
- Strawberry
- tangerine
- tomatoes
- radish
- zucchini
But that means you can use some of these foods to add variety to your diet without worrying about gaining weight.
For example, you can make a delicious salad using lettuce, carrots, celery, and tomatoes. Just be careful not to pile on the calories by smothering the salad with the dressing.
Similarly, you can make a fresh fruit salad using apples, pineapple, strawberries, and blueberries. Again, make sure not to spoil the negative calorie effect by adding too much cream!
One of the best ways to use passive foods is as “fillers.” They can make a good side dish and will have the effect of filling you up without piling on the calories.
You can also drink water instead of tea or coffee to help reduce the extra calories in the milk you normally use. Roll in a slice of lemon or lime to add some interest.