Negative Calories choices

alimac92

I was “Googling” as you do looking for fat burning foods when by chance I came across a web page. This is a segment from the page but it certainly got my attention.

“Simply put, negative calorie foods cause us to burn more calories through digestion than the food actually contained in the first place. It sounds a little bit confusing doesn’t it? And we’ll discover the negative calorie diet a bit later. But first let’s take a look at a quick example:

1. Imagine your favorite candy bar; it contains 250 calories. In order for your body to digest the candy bar it only burns up 75 calories. So you are left with a net gain of 175 calories.

2. Now imagine eating a raw apple; this food contains roughly 55 calories. In order for your body to digest this food, it uses up 70 calories. This time you are left with a net loss of 15 calories”.

Its food for thought Lol! (Get the pun??) :laugh:

Anyway I didn’t want to pay to subscribe to learn more so I thought I would ask the MFP’s for advice.
Can anyone give me tips or tell me other foods you know have negative calories to add to my small list below?

Thank you in advance :bigsmile:

• Apples
• Celery :indifferent:
• Chilli :explode:

sc1572

awesome!!!

EvilDave14

I didn't know apples were. Thats worth knowing. Thanks

lenny1976

bump

BRANDYLYNETTE

Found this online......: )



The phrase "Negative Calories" seems to be causing some confusion as it suggests there are foods which possess no calories at all. All food contains some energy because they include an amount of carbohydrate, protein or fat either alone or in varying amounts. All these macronutrients are energy sources, and thus all food contains some energy.

The negative calorie phrase refers to a small list of foods (shown below) which contain such little energy that the body uses more energy to digest and absorb the energy and nutrients. This means that from eating these foods alone, there is potential for a net loss of calories from the body. This negative energy balance is a biological necessity in order to lose weight.

List of foods with Negative Calories





Negative calorie vegetables

Aubergine, Asparagus, Broccoli, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery, Chicory, Cress, Cucumber, Fennel, Gourd, Leek, Lettuce, Marrow,Peppers, Radish, Spinach,Tomato, Turnip, etc.



Negative calorie fruits

Apricot, Blackberry Blackcurrant, Clementines, Damsons, Grapefruit, Guava, Honeydew Melon, Lemon, Mandarin orange, Melon Cantaloupe, Peaches, Plums, Raspberry, Rhubarb, Strawberry, Tangerine, Watermelon



Combining negative calorie foods with good protein sources not only helps control appetite but will help maintain the metabolism because total calories are not cut too much, plus the amino acid pool is maintained which limits the loss of muscle.

The negative calorie foods controversy

There is indeed much controversy about the negative calorie diet and some experts believe it to be total rubbish. Some believe the amount of energy used may be relative to the amount and complexity of the meal ingested. In other words, the energy cost to digest and absorb may be set as a general percentage of the energy contained in each specific food, thus there cannot ever be foods with negative calories However, some research has proved that Celery does cause a negative energy intake, but this is mainly because the energy is "sealed" making the digestive system work harder to obtain its energy content.

Why is it interesting to consume negative calorie foods?

We are unsure as to whether negative calorie foods are fact or fiction. There needs to be more research done in order to prove or disprove the theory. Although we do believe negative calorie foods help people consume fewer calories AND eat healthier foods then it can be a positive start to permanent weight loss!

The table below lists the foods which are supposed to have a negative calorie effect on the body. One thing to remember is that the body needs a certain amount of calories and nutrients each day for healthy functioning. Eating a lot more of these negative calorie fruits and vegetables may help you lose weight but they should still only make up part of a balanced diet.If you wish to try the negative calorie food diet, seek advice from your doctor before introducing new foods to your diet plan.

Irene8509

Whoo!!!!! Thanks Brandy for the article. Very Interesting especially when the list contains some foods I enjoy :noway:

welloiledmachine

It's a great concept, but the amounts I don't think are enough to make a huge difference. Considering that you should only eat 2 fruits a day and that you'd have to eat a ton of veggies. It doesn't hurt to eat more of these foods, but it shouldn't take place of eating healthy and exercising. I think they would be good to eat if you had a late night hunger attack. Just my 2 cents.

inatay7

Brandy - thanks for that, really interesting

fiberartist219

It's a great concept, but the amounts I don't think are enough to make a huge difference. Considering that you should only eat 2 fruits a day and that you'd have to eat a ton of veggies. It doesn't hurt to eat more of these foods, but it shouldn't take place of eating healthy and exercising. I think they would be good to eat if you had a late night hunger attack. Just my 2 cents.

I agree

alimac92

Thanks Brandy for the list of foods.
That's all I asked for, a choice of negative calories foods.

Someone has bothered to do the research on this subject so it must make a difference when choosing your "5 a day".

Thanks :bigsmile:

BRANDYLYNETTE

You're welcome! : )

carlxo21

BUMP

Negative Calorie Vegetables

Asparagus
Beet Root
Broccoli
Cabbage
Carrot
Cauliflower
Celery
Chicory
Hot Chili
Cucumber
Garden cress
Garlic
Green Beans
Lettuce
Onion
Radish
Spinach
Turnip
Zucchini

Negative Calorie Fruits

Apple
Blueberries
Cantaloupe
Cranberry
Grapefruit
Honeydew
Lemon/Lime
Mango
Orange
Papaya
Peach
Pineapple
Raspberry
Strawberry
Tomato
Tangerine
Turnip
Watermelon