If you are trying to decrease your calorie intake, eating more foods that have low levels of calories is a really good place to start.
We all know, that if you are trying to lose weight you need to burn more calories than you take in. If you are trying to decrease your calorie intake, eating more foods that have low levels of calories is a really good place to start. Some research has suggested that eating foods that are low in calories like fruit and vegetables, can actually provide fewer calories than you think. This is because your body uses energy to digest the food, therefore cancelling out a lot of the calories. So if you are planning to lose weight you will want to add in a lot of these low calorie foods in your diet. Here is a list of 15 for you to try.
1. Apples
Apples are one of the most popular fruits and they are packed full of nutrients. 125 grams of apples has 57 calories and almost three grams of dietary fibre. Your body has to burn energy to digest food, so the net amount of calories provided by apples is likely to be less than you think.
2. Asparagus
Asparagus is a super healthy food. The purple asparagus are thought to be even healthier than the rest as they have contain anthocyanins. These are thought to help prevent heart disease. 134 grams of asparagus contains 27 calories and is a great source of vitamin K and folate.
3. Beets (beetroot)
One of the most well-known benefits of beets is their potential to lower our blood pressure. Beets contain only 59 calories, 136 grams and 13% of your daily potassium.
4. Broccoli
Broccoli is a fantastic vegetable, packed full of goodness and a member of the cruciferous family of vegetables. These vegetables are thought to help fight cancer. 91 grams of broccoli has only 31 calories and over 100% of the daily recommended allowance of vitamin C.
5. Brussels Sprouts
Another highly nutritious vegetable is brussel sprouts. Remember you can eat these raw or cooked. Eating them raw is best, as all foods lose some of their nutrients when cooked.
Brussel sprouts are also thought to prevent DNA damage. This is thought to be due to their high levels of vitamin C. They only have 38 calories per cup.
8. Cabbage
Cabbage comes with both green and purple leaves. Cabbage is very low in calories and contains only 22 calories per 89 grams. Grate some in to your next dish to add a bit of extra crunch.
9. Carrots
Carrots are one of the most well-known and popular vegetables. They are rich in beta-carotene, which can be converted into vitamin A. Vitamin A is needed for healthy eyes and good eyesight. 128 grams of carrots have 53 calories.
10. Cauliflower
In recent years, cauliflower has become very popular as a substitute for higher-carb vegetables or grains like rice. Try some in your next stir fry instead of rice as a low calorie healthy option. 100 grams of cauliflower has 25 calories and only five grams of carbs.
11. Celery
Celery is a very popular low-calorie snack for those wanting to cut calories. Celery contains insoluble fibres that your body can not digest. This in turn adds to it containing even less calories than expected. Celery also has high water content, making it naturally low in calories. There are only 18 calories in one cup (110 grams) of chopped celery.
12. Clementines
They’re well known for their high levels of vitamin C. 74 grams of clementine contains 60% of your daily recommended vitamin C and only 35 calories. These are great for sticking in your bag for a healthy snack when the hunger hits.
13. Cucumbers
Cucumbers are great used in salads, sandwiches and as a filler with main meals. Another great way of benefiting from the goodness of cucumbers is by using them to flavour your drinking water. As cucumbers are mostly made up of water, they’re very low in calories. 52 grams contains only 8 calories.
14. Garlic
Garlic is fantastic for adding flavour to all sorts of dishes. It has also been used for centuries as a medicinal remedy. Research suggests that it may have the power to reduce blood pressure and fight cancer. One single clove of garlic has only 5 calories. So get adding it to your dishes for a little extra flavour.
15. Grapefruit
Grapefruits are a great citrus fruit full of goodness. They can be enjoyed on their own or on top of things like yogurt, salad or even fish. Certain compounds that are found in grapefruit may also reduce levels of cholesterol, while also speeding up your metabolism. There are 52 calories in half a grapefruit (123 grams).
There are many delicious foods that are low in calories. Most of them are fruits and vegetables that contain amazing nutrients that are excellent for you general health and wellbeing. Add in lots of these foods to your meals as part of a balanced diet to get maximum nutrients for minimal calories.
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