I have a list of 8 ‘zero-calorie’ foods and how you can use them in your diet. These foods are a great way to stay on track with your weight loss plan without sacrificing taste or depriving yourself.
In fact, I’ve compiled these foods into an article that will help get people started on their road to being healthy and happy!
Have you ever heard about these ‘zero-calorie’ foods?
With the struggle to maintain body weight, it is now more important than ever to watch what you eat every day and tracking what we consume can be quite the task.
A ‘zero-calorie’ food is a food that has little to no calories, which is beneficial to people on a diet because they will not add much to their body’s weight.
“A ‘zero-calorie food is a food that has little to no calories”
The ‘zero-calorie’ food list that I compiled is as follows:
1. Unprocessed Vegetables: Bell peppers, cucumbers, broccoli, spinach, lettuce and carrot are known to be low in calories or even zero with calories.
They come in all shapes and sizes and are so fun to eat!
Vegetables not only save our calorie intake per day but are also rich in dietary fiber especially leafy vegetables which can keep our body healthy.1
2. Water: Drinking water is an important part of the diet.
It helps flush out the toxins and other harmful substances from the body, which is beneficial for weight loss.
Drinking at least 8 glasses of water per day which is around 2 liters makes one feel full and the most important is it does not contribute to your daily calorie intake.
By drinking enough water, you can keep your body hydrated and maintain activity performance.2
3. Coffee: The American Cancer Society recommends drinking coffee as a part of a healthy diet for people who are at high risk for developing cancer, and it is also helpful in reducing the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.3
Coffee can be consumed in either black or green teas. Both have no calories and taste great as well.
4. Raw Nuts: These snacks made from tree nuts are not only low in calories, but they happen to be very tasty when eaten plain or with fruit.
Nuts contain high in unsaturated fatty acid which is helpful in lowering cholesterol levels in the blood.4
They can be used to substitute high-calorie chips and they provide complex carbohydrates and other nutrients when consumed.
5. Olives: They may be small, but they are mighty and packed with flavor.
Olives contain 11–15% fat, 74% percent of which is oleic acid, a type of monounsaturated fatty acid. The monounsaturated fatty acid is beneficial in weight loss and rich in antioxidants.5
Olives are a great addition to salads, making them more flavorful, and they add a lot of taste when used as part of a sandwich.
6. Sugar Substitutes: These sweet alternatives from stevia leaves and agave syrup contain no calories at all.
Sugar substitutes usually will be used by people with diabetes mellitus or those who want to control their blood sugar level.6
They can be used to sweeten smoothies, baked goods and other desserts that you may make in the future.
Agave syrup tastes great in coffee or on top of your favorite cereal while stevia can be used to sweeten food or drinks.
7. Fruits: Fruits are one of the foods that can be easily consumed anytime and anywhere.
It is packed with nutrients and some of them have almost zero calories (except from carbohydrates that come in the form of fructose).
However, fruits contain high fiber and vitamins which can promote to a healthy body.7
8. Seafood: This is one food category that most people stay away from when watching their diet.
It is because they think it will be fatty, but seafood tends to be low in fat and high in protein which makes them good for anyone’s diet.
Having seafood on a regular basis is a great way to get the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids which are beneficial for your overall health.8
Adding salmon or trout to salads, pasta and other meals is easy and healthy when eating seafood.
Why these foods are good for our diet?
These foods are known for reducing caloric intake and they help people achieve their weight loss goals without having to change their regular meal choices.
They can be used to substitute high-calorie foods by mixing with other ingredients.
They also provide complex carbohydrates that make them more filling.
Other than that, these foods have very few calories; and most importantly, they do not taste bad.
How do I eat these foods?
Eating these foods should be easy – just find a way to include them in your daily snacks.
Mixing some of the things on this list will make them taste better (trust me on this!).
It could even keep you from stopping at fast-food restaurants and other unhealthy places for dinner (because you already enjoyed eating healthy!)
Make sure you include these fruits, veggies and other items in your diet by adding them to your daily menu.
Last but not least,
These are 8 items that can help you lose weight but be aware that these foods are not for everyone and they should not be considered as replacements for healthy meals.
Picking only one or two from the list to eat on a regular basis is fine, but limiting yourself to just one will make it difficult to lose weight.
References
- Amy Myers MD. (2019, March 1). 12 Benefits of Leafy Greens In Your Diet. https://www.amymyersmd.com/article/benefits-leafy-greens/
- Ayotte, D., Jr, & Corcoran, M. P. (2018). Individualized hydration plans improve performance outcomes for collegiate athletes engaging in in-season training. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 15(1), 27. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12970-018-0230-2
- Simon, S. (2018, November 28). Can coffee lower cancer risk? American Cancer Society | Information and Resources about for Cancer: Breast, Colon, Lung, Prostate, Skin. https://www.cancer.org/latest-news/can-coffee-lower-cancer-risk.html
- Chen, G. C., Wan, Z. X., & Qin, L. Q. (2016). Nut consumption, lipid profile, and health outcomes. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 103(4), 1185–1186. https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.115.128272
- Anton, S. D., Martin, C. K., Han, H., Coulon, S., Cefalu, W. T., Geiselman, P., & Williamson, D. A. (2010). Effects of stevia, aspartame, and sucrose on food intake, satiety, and postprandial glucose and insulin levels. Appetite, 55(1), 37–43. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2010.03.009
- Robertson, R. (2017, September 19). What are the benefits of Monounsaturated fats? Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/monounsaturated-fats#TOC_TITLE_HDR_3
- Fruits. (2020). U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. https://www.myplate.gov/eat-healthy/fruits
- National Institute of Health. (2020, September 3). Omega-3 fatty acids. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Omega3FattyAcids-HealthProfessional/