Weight Loss: 7 Negative Calorie Foods You Can Add to Your Diet

They say counting calories is key to losing weight. However, given our hectic lifestyles, this can be a challenge. But your regular calorie consumption is directly related to obesity and fat storage, and can even slow down your metabolism. This can lead to weight gain or slower weight loss over time. One popular suggestion is to eat negative calorie foods so you don’t have to worry about calorie consumption.

What are negative calorie foods?

You’ve probably heard of it low calorie foods that help with weight loss. But when you hear the term ‘negative calorie food’, your first instinct might be zero calorie food. Right? It refers to foods that require more energy to be absorbed into the body than is provided to the body during digestion. In other words, the amount of calories needed to digest food is greater than the amount of energy it contains. These types of foods often contain a lot of fiber, water and have a low glycemic index. Not only are they lower in calories, but they also help burn calories. Thus, negative calorie foods help in weight loss.

Foods with a negative caloric value for weight loss

HealthShots spoke to Deepti Lokeshappa, Senior Consultant, Nutritionist and Dietitian, Motherhood Hospital, Indiranagar, Bengaluru, who listed a few foods that can help you lose weight.

Lokeshappa says, “Negative calorie foods are those that are thought to be beneficial for weight loss because they use more calories to digest than they contain. Adding them to your diet could speed up your weight loss journey by making it easier to maintain a caloric deficit.”

Here are 7 negative calorie foods for weight loss, according to Lokeshappa:

1. Salad

Be sure to include some lettuce in your salads; it is incredibly nutritious with good amounts of fibre, folic acid and vitamin B, while having a low calorie content of just 15 per 100 grams.

2. Cucumbers

Cucumbers are incredibly hydrating and high in minerals, vitamins and electrolytes. On hot days, it is also considered a traditional cooling food, as it works to improve the body’s water balance. They contain about 16 calories per 100 grams.

3. An apple

Apples are a great snack fruit. With about 50 calories per 100 grams, it’s a fiber-rich food to have in the fight against mid-day hunger pangs. Apples are high in pectin, a type of soluble fiber that promotes weight loss and gradually releases sugar to help balance blood sugar levels.

Read also: Keep these 5 low-calorie snacks on your desk to beat hunger pangs

4. Zucchini

Zucchini has only 18 calories per 100 grams. The phytonutrients in zucchini also help with regular bowel movements and water balance in the body, making it an excellent choice for a weight loss diet.

5. Tomato

There are only 19 calories in 100 grams. In addition to being juicy and delicious, it is an excellent source of potassium, vitamin C and dietary fiber.

6. Broccoli

With only 34 calories per 100 grams, broccoli considered a superfood. It is high in fiber and antioxidants, which have been found in research to be anti-cancer.

7. Carrots

About 100 grams of carrots contain about 41 calories. In addition, they are low in cholesterol and saturated fat and are an excellent source of dietary fiber in addition to being high in vitamins A, C and K.