foods that take more Calories to digest then they have when

penny6n
penny6n Posts: 11
edited September 26 in Food and Nutrition
Question. I read celery takes 50 calories to burn but they only have 6 calories when you eat them. Does anyone know of a site or know of other foods that take more calories to digest then they have when you eat them?

thanks for any help!!

Replies

  • cc2r1511
    cc2r1511 Posts: 127 Member
    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
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,423 Member
    I wouldn't worry too much about this - your BMR includes the calories you use each day just existing (which includes digesting foods) so you have already accounted for the calories burnt.
    Just add what you eat to the diary, even if they aren't much they can add up and it gives you a good overview of the nutritional benefits you are getting from fruit and veg.
    And be aware that there are quite a few calories in some of those fruits and veg, I honestly think that "negative calorie foods" are a myth which just keeps on keeping on!
  • Tiggerrick
    Tiggerrick Posts: 1,078 Member
    From WIKIPEDIA:
    A negative calorie food is a food that is purported to require more food energy to be digested than it provides. That is, its thermic effect is greater than its food energy content.

    While this concept is popular in dieting guides, there is no scientific evidence that any of the foods claimed as negative calorie foods are such.[1][2] Foods that are claimed to be negative in calories are mostly low-calorie fruits and vegetables such as grapefruit, lemon, lime, apple, lettuce, celery, broccoli and cabbage.[3] Celery, a commonly cited negative calorie food, actually requires only about 10% of its food energy content to be digested (due to the thermic effect).

    So it's more like very low calorie foods.

    And from Time Magazine: http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1896439_1896359_1896346,00.html
  • Daisygurl7
    Daisygurl7 Posts: 129 Member
    http://www.bestdietforme.com/faddietreviews/negativecaloriediet.htm
    http://www.burnthefat.com/negative_calorie_food.html
    http://www.fitnesstipsforlife.com/free-list-of-negative-calorie-foods.html
  • Glucocorticoid
    Glucocorticoid Posts: 867 Member
    The 2nd post in this thread is horridly incorrect.

    You can make this topic a lot more complicated if you wanted to, as most of the fiber content should probably not be counted as digestable calories.
  • Bridgetc140
    Bridgetc140 Posts: 405 Member
    Most of these foods are so low in calories in the first place that I don't see the point to count them as negative calories. They are great and healthy...so I say eat them and log them...........but maybe take a beano first!! lol
  • NoAdditives
    NoAdditives Posts: 4,251 Member
    The 2nd post in this thread is horridly incorrect.

    You can make this topic a lot more complicated if you wanted to, as most of the fiber content should probably not be counted as digestable calories.

    I agree. Generally speaking, any fruits and vegetables that require more calories to burn than they provide only do so because they have high water contents and are low in actual nutrients.
  • jcott28
    jcott28 Posts: 16
    Just add in whatever you eat on your chart. Nothing should be considered negative. Take an apple, for example. They run from say 80-130 calories. I'm no expert, but would be willing that you are not going to burn all those calories off just through digestion.

    My advice : Just enter everything you eat in your diary.
  • penny6n
    penny6n Posts: 11
    Thanks great information
  • crystal_sapphire
    crystal_sapphire Posts: 1,205 Member
    Just add in whatever you eat on your chart. Nothing should be considered negative. Take an apple, for example. They run from say 80-130 calories. I'm no expert, but would be willing that you are not going to burn all those calories off just through digestion.

    My advice : Just enter everything you eat in your diary.

    i agree. and i find it bizarre that on that new weight watchers plan 8 bananas can be consumed per day for 0 points
  • princess4mimi
    princess4mimi Posts: 192
    BUMP!!!
  • Glucocorticoid
    Glucocorticoid Posts: 867 Member
    Yep, some energy is lost prior to digestion - AKA poop.

    If you want to know the actual answers, do some reading:

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/is-a-calorie-a-calorie.html
    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/the-energy-balance-equation.html
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