In a world full of crash diets and weight loss practices, there’s a unique eating trend that’s gaining momentum: negative calorie foods. These foods are believed to help you lose weight while eating, instead of the other way around.
Confused? Keep reading to learn all about negative calorie foods.
What Are Negative Calorie Foods?
While the word “negative” implies that these take up more energy during the digestion processes than they provide to the body. There’s no evidence suggesting that “negative calorie foods” like the ones suggested in the definition exist. However, the term is used interchangeably with low-calorie foods that have a high nutritional content.
Examples of Negative Calorie Foods
So, which foods can you include in your diet to aid your weight loss journey? Here are our top picks:
Berries
If you needed another reason to love berries, here’s one: they’re low in calories. A cup of your favorite berries contains approximately 64 calories. This means that you can munch on a handful of strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries without worrying about their calorie count. Oh, and did we mention the anti-inflammatory properties they offer? It’s a win-win situation!
Watermelon
Watermelon isn’t just a favorite seasonal fruit; it’s also low on calories. The calorie count is approximately 30 kilo calories 100 grams, considering that the fruit comprises water for the most part. It’s also a great source of vitamins and minerals. Moreover, eating watermelons also helps you stay hydrated and improves blood circulation.
Apples
You know what they say; an apple a day keeps the doctor away. As it turns out, eating apples can also help you increase your vitamin C, fiber, and antioxidant intake without increasing your weight. Apples contain approximately 52 kilo calories per 100 grams. They’re also said to lower your risk of type 2 diabetes and enhance cognitive function.
Grapefruit
Citrus fruits such as grapefruits are also low on calories, containing approximately 40 calories per 100 grams. Grapefruits are also rich in vitamin C, potassium, fiber pectin, and folic acid.
Celery
There are approximately 16 calories per 100 grams of celery, making it a popular low-calorie ingredient. The vegetable also contains a high amount of vitamins A and C, fiber, and folate. This means that you’ll consume very few calories when you eat celery.
Broccoli
Don’t let that infamous Powerpuff Girls episode scare you out of eating broccoli. This green vegetable is packed with nutrients like vitamin K, vitamin A, iron, folic acid, calcium, and phosphorous. It’s also low on calories, containing around 34 kilo calories per 100 grams. Not only can consuming broccoli help you with your weight loss journey, but it can also aid healthy bone development and brain growth. Moreover, the vegetable has anti-inflammatory properties.
Carrots
Carrots are popularly known for their vision improvement properties. They’re rich in vitamins A, C, and K, potassium, manganese, and dietary fiber. Additionally, they contain approximately 41 calories per 100 grams. To add to their weight loss-friendly properties, carrots also contain a low amount of saturated fats and cholesterol.
Tomatoes
Tomatoes are used in all kinds of savory dishes because of their tangy flavors, but did you know that they’re also a low-calorie food? Tomatoes contain around 19 calories per 100 grams. Additionally, they have high potassium, dietary fiber, and vitamin C content. Consuming tomatoes is also said to prevent inflammatory responses and lower your cholesterol levels. You can’t go wrong with these tangy foods!
Cucumbers
There’s a reason why cucumbers are so popular in salads. They contain around 16 calories per 100 grams, making them the perfect low-calorie ingredient. Moreover, these vegetables are rich in electrolytes, minerals, and vitamins. They hydrate your body and help curb your appetite, aiding your weight loss journey.
Can a Negative Calorie Diet Be Dangerous?
While there’s no evidence suggesting that consuming negative calorie foods has any side effects, negative calorie diets aren’t recommended as long-term weight loss strategies. This is because sticking to a low-calorie diet will deprive your body of the nutrients it needs.
Since every person’s calorie requirements and nutritional needs are different, sticking to fruits and vegetables alone can be detrimental to your health in the long run. It can lower your metabolism, cause fatigue, and lead to deficiencies. Therefore, negative calorie foods should not be the only items you include in your daily meals.
How Can You Increase Your Intake of Negative Calorie Foods?
So, what can you do? Given the versatility of negative calorie foods, you can incorporate them into various meals throughout the day.
For instance, make it a practice to have a salad you’re your dinner each night. You can toss in your choice of fruits and veggies, such as cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce, berries, and celery. Carrot, celery, and cucumber sticks can also be used as healthy snacks between mealtimes.
Similarly, incorporate fruits into your breakfast. You can top your oatmeal and pancakes with berries or have apple slices alongside eggs and cereal. Moreover, items like broccoli, zucchini, carrots, and tomatoes can be used in various savory dishes. The options are endless!
Combining Negative Calorie Foods with Healthy Weight Loss Practices
Did you know that more than 70% of US adults are overweight or obese? Most individuals who opt for negative calorie diets do so to lose significant weight. However, as discussed above, consuming only negative calorie foods does more harm than good.
The good news is that there are several other weight loss practices that you can adopt alongside a low-calorie diet to achieve your desired results. These include:
- Reducing your sugar and fat intake
- Practicing intermittent fasting
- Increasing your protein intake
- Limiting your portion size
- Avoiding eating as a way to kill boredom or at odd hours
Additionally, you should also engage in sufficient physical activity to help burn off calories. You can choose to opt for low-impact workouts like Pilates, rigorous fitness and mobility workouts, sports, or a combination of all of these.
That’s where our team comes into the picture. FitEngine offers a range of fitness classes in NYC, including stretching classes, Pilates classes, dance workouts, and yoga classes. We help individuals set and achieve their desired fitness goals by offering them structured and comprehensive lessons. We also provide our clients and customers with detailed reviews and information on fitness routines.
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