Highlights
- Negative calorie foods can help you in quicker weight loss
- Digesting these foods requires more energy than the calories in them
- Veggies like zucchini, celery, lettuce and cucumber are negative calorie
Calories are very important when it comes to effecting weight loss. This why health freaks and people looking to shed quick kilos obsessively watch the number of calories they are consuming with each meal. When you burn more calories than you consume, only then are you able to lose weight. Although exercise and workout is also very important to stay physically and mentally fit, diet is quintessential for weight loss. This is why being mindful of what you eat everyday is extremely important. There are certain foods that help you burn more calories than adding on to your body. These are known as negative calorie foods and the digestion of these foods requires the body to burn calories, leading to weight loss. Negative-calorie foods are considered healthy, even when eaten daily, as these may not let the body pile on weight.
Negative Calorie Foods For Weight Loss
There are certain types of foods that can be considered as 'negative calories' foods and these are usually healthy for consumption, especially if you're looking to lose weight. Everything we eat provides some amount of calories to our bodies. However, the calories that you consume are either empty calories or negative calories. Empty calories are the ones that give your body no nutritional value, but are just stored in the body, leading to weight gain. Sugary foods like cakes, cookies, candies, soft drinks and other unhealthy foods are considered as empty calorie foods. This is because these foods are merely junk and have little to no nutritional value and also have high glycemic index. These foods also cause sudden spikes in blood sugar levels and are harmful for the body in the long run.
On the other hand, foods like non-starchy vegetables, high-fibre fruits and vegetables, as well as fruits and vegetables with high levels of water in them. These foods are very low in calories and the process of digestion for these foods burns requires more energy and more number of calories, possibly helping you to lose weight. For example, as per USDA data, celery contains 16 calories per 100 gm, but digesting the veggie requires much more than just 16 calories. This is why it's considered an ideal negative calorie food. Here are some of the best negative calorie foods that you can include in your diet to lose weight:
1. Zucchini: It contains 18 calories per 100 gm, as per USDA data.
2. Broccoli: It contains 34 calories per 100 grams, as per USDA data.
3. Lettuce: It contains a mere 6 calories per 100 gm, as per USDA data.
4. Watermelon: It contains just 30 calories per 100 gm, as per USDA data.
5. Berries like blueberries, strawberries and raspberries
7. Cucumbers: It contains 16 calories per 100 gm, as per USDA data.
8. Carrots: It contains 41 calories per 100 gm, as per USDA data.
9. Apples: It contains 50 calories per 100 gm, as per USDA data.
10. Tomatoes: It contains 19 calories per 100 gm, as per USDA data.