Negative Calorie Foods

Lets talk this morning about negative calorie foods. Have you ever heard the theory that certain foods have a negative caloric effect, meaning they burn more calories during the digestive process than they contribute?  For any of you that read fitness or health blogs this term is something you are very familiar with. For those of you who are just starting out you are probably as confused as I was when I first heard the term. I have always been a huge believer in the calorie counting method of losing weight and when I am successfully losing weight each little calorie is golden. As you can imagine then for a calorie counter such as myself the thought of negative calories is very intriguing. I did some research and this is what I found. According to health.com "Negative calorie foods, which burn more fat and calories than they contribute, are a myth." Well, shoot that just took the wind out of my sails. But wait; lets not get discouraged yet and lets read on. The author goes on to say that these foods may not be negative but they are pretty darn close to it. Okay; I like that.. So what foods are they referring to? Can I make anything worth eating out of them? The answer is yes.. Yes you can. Here is the list I found along with a couple must try recipes. 

Fruits 

apple 
cranberries 
grapefruit 
lemon 
mango 
orange 
pineapple 
raspberries 
strawberries 
tangerine 

Vegetables 

asparagus 
beet 
broccoli 
cabbage (green) 
carrot 
cauliflower 
celery 
Chile peppers (hot) 
cucumber 
dandelion 
endive 
garden cress 
garlic 
green beans 
lettuce 
onion 
papaya 
radishes 
spinach 
turnip
zucchini

First recipe that I love, love, love is the Weight Watchers Zero Point Soup aka Cabbage Soup. Here is a link to recipe along with nutritional information. 

Another one of my favorites is Zero Calorie Red Roasted Carrots. Not a meal but a great side.

Now lastly, we all deserve some dessert from time to time.. Here is my go to Zero Calorie Crust-less Apple Pie. 


Although foods such as celery, lettuce and cucumbers may have negligible calories, make no mistake, they still count towards a day's worth of calories. Lets face it every calorie is golden when you are trying to lose weight so why not spend them wisely. Enjoy!