What Are Negative Calorie Foods?

The basic principle of losing weight is spending more calories than you eat. There are many ways to spend excess calories, but people always want to know which foods contain as little calories as possible. It turns out that there is a special group of products called negative-calorie foods. Find out what are the 10 negative calorie foods right now!


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1. What are negative calorie foods?

Before you learn the answer to the question “What can I eat that has zero calories?“, let’s first cover the basics of what negative calorie foods actually are. You already know that different foods contain different amounts of calories. However, different foods also require a different number of calories to be fully digested by your body.

So how do negative calorie foods work? Some foods require more calories to be digested than they give to your body. As a result, the overall number of calories you consumed through those foods is actually negative. This is great for weight loss because you can feel full without ingesting too many calories.

Currently, there are skeptics talking about the negative calorie foods myth. In their opinion, there are no foods that require more calories to be processed than they contain. And while negative-calorie foods actually exist, you also need to make diet and exercise changes if you want to see a difference in your weight.

2. Top 10 negative-calorie foods

If you’ve spent some time researching your diet options, you probably know everything about the food that contains calories, but what about foods that have negative calories? Finally you don’t need to guess “Are bananas negative calories? or “Is watermelon a negative calorie food?“, because here is the ultimate list of negaitve-calorie food products.

1. Celery

Celery is probably the most famous low-calorie food: 100 grams of celery stalks contain just 14 kcal. Celery tastes great as a snack, can be added to salads and appetizers, and make a delicious vegetable soup.

Negative calorie foods

2. Carrots

At just 41 calories per 100 grams, carrots are a true nutritional powerhouse and the best friend of someone trying to lose weight. In addition to their delicate flavour, carrots are also very good for your digestive system thanks to high fiber content.

Negative calorie foods

3. Watermelon

It’s true – watermelon is a negative-calorie food! 100 grams of watermelon contain just a little over 30 kcal, which means you can enjoy this sweet and refreshing fruit without worrying about consuming excess calories.

Negative calorie foods

4. Broccoli

Broccoli is a staple diet food for millions of people in the world, and for a good reason. 100 grams of broccoli contain just 34 calories, but broccoli is an easy way to keep you feeling full without overeating.

Negative calorie foods

5. Cucumbers

Feeling hungry due to your weight loss diet restrictions? Snack on cucumbers as much as you want! At just 16 calories per 100 grams, cucumbers are the ultimate diet food that is simply perfect for hot days.

6. Chilli peppers

Chilli peppers contain 40 calories per 100 grams, but there are very few people who can eat chillis by the handful. The positive effect on chilli peppers on your diet comes from capsaicin, which burns excess fat more efficiently.

Negative calorie foods

7. Grapefruit

Your diet doesn’t have to be dull and tasteless thanks to foods like grapefruit. This fruit has not only a very recognizable flavour, but also just 40 calories per 100 grams, keeping you full and happy without all the extra calories.

Negative calorie foods

8. Tomatoes

Tomatoes have dozens of uses in the kitchen, but it’s the 18 calories per 100 grams that earned them a spot among negative-calorie foods. Pair them with cucumbers for a fresh and tasty salad or use them to prepare your other favourite foods.

Negative calorie foods

9. Lettuce

Lettuce is probably the champion among negative-calorie foods, containing just 6 calories in every 100 grams of the product. It’s simply impossible to overeat on lettuce!

Negative calorie foods

10. Apples

Apples are slightly richer in calories than other foods on our list – 100 grams of apples contain 50 calories. However, apples also have numerous health benefits and are great for your weight loss diet.

Negative calorie foods


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My name is Inna. I am a content writer with an English and literature background. As a mother of a 4-year old son, I love learning about children’s health and development, as well as finding new interesting toys and activities for my little one. I am also in love with all things tech and always keep my finger on the pulse of new smartphone and gadget releases. Another big passion of mine is beauty and makeup – every day I read about new trends in skin care and makeup and always look forward to trying them. Plus, I love pop culture, travelling, crafts, and anything that can make our daily life more thrilling!