You’ve probably heard and followed the golden diet motto “Stop before your belly bursts!” countless times. However, always being dissatisfied at every conclusion of the meal becomes irritating. Wouldn’t it be nice to fill up once in a while until you can’t eat any more, guilt-free?
If you snack on “zero calorie” or “negative calorie” foods, you can. These are foods with a small number of calories. Thus the energy expended to digest or consume them cancels the calories ingested. Almost all foods contain calories, except foods that were designed to be calorie-free, such as sugar substitutes. Some foods are very low in calories, and we expend some calories chewing and digesting our food. However, it is simply not true that eating particular meals will cause us to lose weight.
The idea of calories from zero to hero
While eating these “zero calorie” foods won’t put you in a negative calorie balance, there are other fantastic benefits to eating them. “These are all fruits and vegetables”, experts explained, “so these are fantastic things to incorporate into your diet.” These meals are also high in fiber and nutritionally dense. Fruits and vegetables are “nutrient dense,” which means they are low in calories compared to their high nutrient content.
They can also help you losing weight. Fruits and vegetables can be as wholesome as high-calorie foods, but with far fewer calories and, in many cases, far more bulk.
What are the typical zero calorie foods available?
Start by adding vegetables to your main dishes, snacking on fruit, piling fresh vegetables on your sandwiches, and having fruit instead of dessert after your meals if you’re trying to lose weight. It won’t “trick” your body into a calorie deficit. Still, it will make you feel full and satisfied while consuming fewer calories and getting plenty of vitamins, minerals, and other vitals. Some calorie-free foods include:
● Celery
Water makes up about 74% of a stick of celery, while fiber makes up the rest, keeping you satisfied longer. Studies show that a 100 gram serving contains only 15 calories and provides plenty of vitamins A, K and C and antioxidants. So eat celery sticks with a pinch of salt or make a fat-free dip to go with them.
● Cucumber
Cucumber is the best food for weight watchers, with only 15 calories in a 100 gram serving of cucumber. It’s delicious as a cold soup, salad or smoothie. Cucumbers are 94% water and therefore a hydrating food, making them ideal for summer days. It also includes ‘fisetin‘, which is anti-inflammatory and crucial for brain function.
● Mushrooms
Mushrooms add flavor to every recipe, whether as a pizza topping, stir-fry or soup. The biggest part is that a ball of mushrooms contains around 15 calories. They contain a significant amount of vitamin D, which aids the absorption of calcium in pizza cheese. They are also high in vitamin B, which lifts mood and provides a long-lasting energy boost.
● Cabbage
Whether you eat it in soup or sabzi; cabbage will provide you with very few extra calories – a serving of about 100 grams contains only 25 calories. The leafy green of cabbage also has anti-cancer qualities and includes important vitamins, folate and manganese.
● Zucchini
Fill your pasta with sliced zucchini to drastically reduce your fat intake. This cucumber-like vegetable offers only 17 calories per 100 grams. Zucchini is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, niacin, zinc and other vitamins and minerals.
What are the benefits of calorie-free foods?
A low-calorie diet limits daily caloric intake to 800-1500 calories. Participants on a low-calorie type of diet limit daily caloric intake from food and beverages to between 800 and 1500 calories. Calorie-free diets are frequently used in conjunction with weight loss methods, such as fasting or exercise. Zero-calorie diets offer a number of benefits, including:
Aid in weight loss
An important aspect of weight reduction on a zero calorie diet is to eat less food than you need or take in fewer calories per day than you expend. To stay in the same weight range, an average woman needs about 2,000 calories per day, while an average man needs about 2,500 calories per day. A zero calorie diet helps with weight loss because it involves eating a certain number of calories per day, which means your body uses more calories per day than it takes in, resulting in significant weight loss. .
Helps you maintain your health
Diets are popular among those wishing to lose weight. A zero calorie diet can help you achieve this goal by helping you lose weight and thus improve your health. Additionally, when done correctly, a zero calorie diet often includes eating a balanced diet every day, which is a crucial aspect of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Calorie-free diets often include great grains, fiber, vegetables and fruits, and lean protein to ensure you’re getting the nutrients the body needs to function regularly, regardless of calorie reduction.
Improves happiness and well-being
Low-calorie, well-balanced diets often include necessary minerals and nutrients that help the body function properly. These minerals ensure that you get enough sleep at night and have the energy you need to perform your daily tasks. This abundance of minerals and nutrients also helps maintain your health and boost your functioning immune system.
Lower your blood sugar
When dieting, most individuals avoid foods high in carbohydrates or sugar because these sugars end up turning into calories, rendering the whole diet worthless if consumed. Foods high in carbohydrates and sugar should be avoided as they help manage blood sugar. Rising blood sugar increases your risk of heart disease and diabetes, so keeping it within a healthy range is key.
Conclusion
There are many tasty foods that are low in calories. The majority are fruits and vegetables, which provide nutrients beneficial to your health. However, just because a product has fewer calories does not make it a better option than those with more calories. Your body needs enough calories daily to function properly and make you feel good.
Foods should not be chosen solely on the basis of their calorie count. Instead, consider foods based on their nutrient density, or the number of nutrients they provide versus the calories they provide. It’s a good idea to eat a range of low-calorie foods like fruits and vegetables alongside foods higher in protein and fat (and therefore calories) to stay healthy.
Written by Edibel Quintero, Doctor of Medicine at the University of Zulia, Venezuela
