Eat and lose weight: the truth and myths about negative calorie foods. Negative calorie foods: benefits for the body and cooking methods

We often receive questions about so-called negative calorie foods. Readers ask, is it really possible to make a diet so that with each meal the body will not receive calories, but rather lose them?

For professional advice, we turned to the nutritionist-gastroenterologist Elena Vladimirovna Shapovalova, who successfully practices at the St. Petersburg Center for Individual Dietary Programs IDP on Tavricheskaya 9.

“Such questions,” says Elena Vladimirovna, “are often asked in our center. Let's figure it out. According to women's magazines, negative-calorie foods are foods that the body spends more energy to digest and assimilate than it receives. That is, negative calorie foods cause not an increase in calories, but, on the contrary, their deficit. Accordingly, the more such food is present in the diet, the greater the calorie deficit the body will experience, which, in general, does not at all contradict the concept and goal of any overweight diet.

In fact, no product requires more energy for its absorption than we get from it. After eating, our metabolism, and with them the expenditure of energy, really increases. And in order to digest the food you eat, you will inevitably spend some amount of calories consumed, but in no case more than the food itself contains.

Digesting different foods uses different amounts of calories. Most of the energy (about 30-40% of the energy value of the product) is spent on the assimilation of protein foods: meat, poultry, fish, seafood and dairy products. We spend about 4-7% of their calorie content on the absorption of carbohydrates (bread, potatoes, vegetables), and spend 5-10% on fats.

Cabbage, radishes and cucumbers, often referred to as negative calorie foods, are foods that contain carbohydrates (although there are very few of them) and a lot of fiber. The body does not require any additional energy expenditure for the digestion of fiber, simply because it will not be digested anyway. Therefore, after we have eaten vegetables, we will spend 4-7% of their calories on their assimilation, but not more than 100%.

The main mistake that is made in publications about products with a negative calorie content is the assertion that you can freely and uncontrollably eat whatever your heart desires, supplementing the diet with such “wonderful” foods that will “take away” the calories received.

You should not believe the common misconception that, for example, with celery, you can eat both pastries and chips, and the calories received from pastries will disappear by themselves.

It would be more correct to say that products with a negative calorie content, in fact, do not have a negative, but a minimum calorie content, and really contribute to weight loss, if dominated in the diet.

Low calorie foods include:

- berries: currant, blueberry, blackberry; citrus fruits, watermelon.

- greens such as celery. Its roots contain about five to eight kcal, while the energy value of the leaves is almost zero.

Most vegetables from which you can prepare a variety of salads

- green tea. It is believed that the assimilation of a glass of green tea requires about 60 calories. And, of course, a completely zero-calorie product is ordinary water - it has no calories at all.

- all spices. The important thing is that seasoned food does not require additional salting. If you eat little salt, it means that water does not linger in the body and does not inhibit carbohydrate-fat metabolism.

As a substitute for sugar, a spice such as cinnamon is used. A very successful substitute, given the difference in the calorie content of these products.

However, nutritionists warn their patients against low-calorie diets and negative calorie foods= minimum calorie content.

Ideally, the diet should consist mostly of low energy foods, but be supplemented with some more nutritious foods. And, of course, it should be remembered that in order to burn fat, you still need to work your muscles.

As you can see, there are no negative calorie foods, which will neutralize pizza and chips, and even more so destroy your honestly accumulated fats, does not exist in nature. But there are healthy foods, using which, you can significantly reduce the calorie content of the daily diet. And when combined with moderate (or intense) exercise, you can significantly reduce weight without starving.

We thank Elena Vladimirovna and the St. Petersburg Center for Individual Dietary Programs IDP on Tavricheskaya 9 for their help.



We bring to your attention a table of products with a negative calorie content. Mostly vegetables and fruits. Their calorie content is minimal, but the body has to spend more calories on their processing than is contained in the product itself. It is on these principles that Tatyana Malakhova's diet is based. It not only takes into account the net calorie content of foods, but also takes into account how many calories the human body spends on their digestion. For example, the calorie content of 100 grams of white cabbage is 28 calories. But the body will spend about 130 calories to digest 100 grams of cabbage. Thus, by eating cabbage, we are not so much gaining as we are losing calories. But there is one important feature - cabbage should not be subjected to heat treatment or this treatment should be minimal. Below is a table of negative calorie staples. You can independently supplement this table with other low-calorie fruits and vegetables. You can also include mushrooms in your diet for weight loss. The body also spends more calories on their processing than it receives. But mushrooms are not a staple in our diet, and besides, they are not so easily digested and absorbed by the body.

Using the products from this table, you can not only eat deliciously, but even spend calories. It is for this reason that these products are not suitable for people with initially low weight or for those who want to get better. But for weight loss - this is an ideal option.

Complete list of negative calorie foods

Name	Calorie content, kcal
Apricot	48
Quince	38
cherry plum	30
A pineapple	48
Orange	38
Watermelon	25
Artichoke	28
Basil	27
eggplant	24
Bamboo	10
Barberry	29
Broccoli	28
Cowberry	40
Swede	37
Blueberry	37
Grapefruit	35
Oregano	25
Melon	32
Blackberry	33
Honeysuckle	30
Green tea	0
strawberries	41
Zucchini	27
viburnum	26
White cabbage	28
red cabbage	31
carambola	31
Kiwi	48
Dogwood	44
Strawberry	30
Cranberry	28
Coriander	25
Gooseberry	44
Lime	16
lettuce salad	17
Lemon	24
Lemongrass	11
Green onion	22
Bulb onions	40
Raspberries	41
Mandarin	38
Carrot	33
Cloudberry	31
Mint	49
Sea ​​buckthorn	30
cucumbers	15
Dandelion	45
Papaya	48
Pattison	19
Sweet pepper	25
Chilli	40
Peach	44
Parsley	45
pomelo	32
Rhubarb	16
Radish	20
radish	34
Turnip	28
Rowan	44
Salad	14
Beet	48
Celery	10
Plum	43
Currant	40
Asparagus	20
tomatoes	15
Turnip	28
Pumpkin	28
Dill	40
green beans	32
Cauliflower	29
Chicory	21
zucchini	16
Ramson (garlic)	34
Blueberry	40
Spinach	21
Sorrel	25
Endive	17
Tarragon	25
Apple	46

This question is of particular concern to women, but it can also seem very curious to many men. Is it possible to eat so that not only not to get fat, but also to lose weight? Are there negative calorie foods, and if so, are they unhealthy? Well, it's not a common question. But still, we'll figure it out.

Negative Calories: Fact or Myth?

Those who first encountered such a concept as negative calorie foods, the list of which we will list below, may mistakenly decide: this is a food that has no nutritional value. In fact, everything is completely different, and the secret lies in a completely different property of such food.

Negative food, or, in other words, food with a negative calorie content, is something that our body spends more energy on digesting than it receives as a result of nutrition. In other words: we eat, but at the same time all the calories go into processing, and not into assimilation. But is it really so?

There is now a misconception that some foods actually require more energy to eat than they contain. Nutritional value, as you know, is determined by the number of calories that our body extracts in the process of digestion from a particular food. But!

Important understand the basis of the dietary principle: no food requires more energy for its assimilation than the body eventually receives from it. In other words, eating in such a way that a calorie deficit is created is impossible.

What comes out? Calories in foods are inevitable, and there is no escape from them?

Foods that have a negative calorie content - a fairy tale that you can only dream of?

And there is absolutely no hope of eating and losing weight?

In fact, it is both true and false at the same time. Let's understand further.

2 large ripe tomatoes
1 bell pepper

Popular

Half a sweet onion
3 cucumbers

1 st. l. balsamic vinegar,
piece of fresh chili pepper
2 sprigs of basil
1 garlic clove

Sea salt.

Pour boiling water over the tomatoes and leave for 20 seconds, then rinse with cold water and remove the skin. Remove seeds from peppers. Grind in a blender 1 tomato, half of the bell pepper, onion, garlic, chili pepper.
Squeeze juice from two cucumbers, add to mashed potatoes along with vinegar. Salt to taste. Cut the remaining vegetables into small pieces. Finely chop the basil. Mix everything, cool, and when serving, add ice, which, as you remember, makes the body spend extra calories on heating food to 37 degrees.

Vegetable salad with grapefruit

Small grapefruit (or large orange)
half a bulb of fennel
handful of corn lettuce
celery stalk,

A handful of sprouted chickpeas
1 st. l. balsamic vinegar,
piece of ginger root
coarsely crushed black pepper

A pinch of salt.

Cut the rind off the grapefruit to the pulp. Working on the bowl, cut the slices out of the membranes with a knife. Squeeze the juice from the skeleton into the same bowl. Add grated ginger, vinegar, pepper and salt. Finely chop the fennel and celery. Tear off small roots from the lettuce root. Add everything to the bowl along with the chickpea sprouts, mix well.

Note: Sprouted chickpeas can be bought at the supermarket, or you can soak dried chickpeas yourself. For the first day it will swell well, on the second it will sprout. Very helpful!

Spicy vegetable soup

Small head of broccoli
cabbage of different types,
2 celery stalks,

1 small leek,
1 carrot, canned tomatoes,
1 garlic clove
piece of ginger root

Half a lime
a pinch of cayenne pepper
freshly ground black pepper,
salt.

Bring a pot with 1.5 liters of water to a boil. Prepare vegetables: peel the carrots, divide the broccoli into inflorescences, cut the stalk into strips. Remove coarse green leaves from the leek, cut the stem into rings, rinse them in a bowl of water (this is done to remove particles of earth and sand that have fallen between the layers). Cut carrots and celery into strips. Load carrots and leeks into boiling, slightly salted water, after another boil, add celery and broccoli stalk, after 3-4 minutes - inflorescences. Cook for 5 minutes, first add white and Brussels sprouts, carrots and leeks, after another boil add celery, cauliflower, broccoli and bell pepper, after 5-7 minutes - tomatoes from a jar along with juice (it is better to remove the skin). Cook for another 5 minutes, add chopped garlic and ginger, squeeze lime juice into the soup, season with cayenne pepper. When serving, add black pepper to taste. From the greens, cilantro is suitable.

White fish with pineapple

300 g cod fillet,
500 g coarsely chopped pineapple pulp

piece of ginger root
1 tsp olive oil,
1 st. l. soy sauce,
half a lemon

1 tsp ground black pepper,
green onions for serving.

Preheat oven to 220°. Squeeze juice from 100 g of pineapple. Cut the fish into large pieces and marinate for 10-15 minutes in a mixture of pineapple juice, olive oil, soy sauce and chopped ginger. Put the fish in a non-stick form, place pieces of pineapple around, sprinkle everything with marinade and sprinkle with black pepper. Bake for 10-15 minutes.

Zucchini carpaccio

Young dense zucchini (zucchini) with a thin skin,
1 st. l. lemon juice
a few drops of extra virgin olive oil

A pinch of fennel seeds
freshly ground pepper mixture
sea ​​salt to taste.

Zucchini, without peeling, cut into very thin longitudinal slices (it is better to do this with a vegetable peeler). Lightly salt, sprinkle with fennel seeds, season generously with the pepper mixture, drizzle with lemon juice and drizzle with olive oil.

Chicken breast with green beans

1 small skinless chicken breast
200 g young green beans and (or) peas (out of season you can take frozen beans and peas),
50 g parsley or parsnip root,

1 tsp white mustard seeds,
1.5 tsp olive oil,
2 tbsp. l. dry sherry (or white wine)
half a lemon

ground white pepper,
coarse salt.

Cut two chicken breast fillets. Season with salt and white pepper. Cut off the stalk from each bean pod, remove the string (if any). Boil beans for 1 minute in salted water. You do not need to do this with young pea pods. If you use frozen beans and peas, they should be scalded with boiling water and thrown into a colander. Cut the parsley root into thin strips. Place a large sheet of parchment paper on a baking sheet. Put the vegetables in the middle, put the chicken breast fillet on them, sprinkle with mustard seeds, pour over with olive oil and wine. Lay a few lemon slices on top. Collect the ends of the parchment at the top, tie with a harsh thread. Send a baking sheet with a bag to the oven, heated to 200-220 °. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

How to strengthen the "negative effect"?

Cold food and drink require more energy to process than warm food. But there is everything cold ... brr!

The body will have to work longer on raw foods than on those that have undergone heat treatment. Eat as many raw vegetables and fruits as your digestive tract can handle.

Chew your food thoroughly! “Some people think that if you do not chew a piece of meat or cabbage, but swallow them whole, then the process of digesting food will require large energy costs,” says Rimma Moisenko. “However, if the product is subjected to insufficient mechanical processing in the oral cavity, then it simply will not be partially absorbed. When a person chews a hard carrot or an apple, he spends energy on chewing, and on the formation of saliva and enzymes, and on preparing the gastrointestinal tract and all enzyme-forming systems for work.

Chopped and soft food is digested faster and easier, which means that in our case, roast beef is preferable than a minced meat patty, and a vegetable salad will require more energy from the body than the same vegetables ground in gazpacho. Goodbye mashed soups, hello undercooked grilled beef steak!

01/11/2015 16:54

Eating as much as you want and not gaining weight at the same time sounds tempting, right? But magical products really exist! The beauty is in their negative calorie content.

What is a negative calorie

The name “negative calorie” itself is somewhat misleading, a more appropriate term is “zero calorie”. Breaking down and assimilating the nutrients consumed from such foods, the body spends energy and burns calories as much as you ate.

Here are some minus calorie foods:

Features of taking products with a calorie content "minus"

Many foods can boast negative calorie content, especially fruits, vegetables, berries and various spices.

On a note! The average daily intake of foods with a “minus” calorie content for an adult is about 500 g of fruits and 500 g of vegetables.

For greater usefulness, such products are best consumed fresh, because this way they retain many useful properties. If you decide to cook something in a stew, do not use fatty sauces, animal fats, and most importantly, salt and sugar. Otherwise, the “minus” will surely change to “plus”, and dishes that are healthy at first glance will add a few extra centimeters to your waist.

Benefits for weight loss

Still, it is impossible to call products with a negative calorie content a panacea for combating overweight. Despite the large expenditure of energy for their digestion, this is not enough to burn fat.
Imagine: to get rid of even one extra kilogram, you need to burn thousands of calories. The small amount that negative calorie foods can handle will not give a noticeable effect without exercising and following the rules of a balanced diet.

However, there are undoubted benefits in these products - firstly, they contain many useful substances, and secondly, they are an excellent substitute for a variety of harmful dishes.

Wanted to have a bite to eat?

• Don't reach for unhealthy potato chips - better take an apple or an orange. Delicious, healthy, and most importantly - no threat of extra pounds. It is for this reason that negative calorie foods are included in the menu of many diets.

Harm from overuse

The properties of zero-calorie foods make them look like the perfect everyday diet, but don't get too carried away! Of course, there are various diets that are exclusively low-calorie foods, but it is also important to remember that staying on such diets for a long time can seriously undermine your health.

On a note!

1. The body will not be full of vitamins alone - it needs proteins and fats even while you are on a strict diet. You should not abruptly switch to a meager low-calorie diet - consult a competent nutritionist and make a complete, but dietary menu.
2. Also, do not forget that some people may be allergic to mushrooms, berries, citrus fruits, and even various types of greens. In this case, it is better to refuse the use of temptingly healthy products.
3. Some products are contraindicated for use in various diseases. For example, peaches are prohibited for stomach and duodenal ulcers, as well as for diabetes, and strawberries for gastritis.

You should always take into account the characteristics of your body and state of health. The variety of products with the so-called negative calorie content is large, and everyone will be able to choose something with the greatest benefit for themselves.

Can pregnant and breastfeeding women eat negative calorie foods?

Negative calorie foods can and should be included in the diet of future or already nursing mothers. Vegetables and fruits are a real storehouse of pectin and fiber, cleansing the intestines from toxins. And the greens will enrich the body with vitamins and trace elements. For example, beets will help to cope with edema, anemia, and improve kidney function, and apples will strengthen the immune system of both mother and baby.

Important! Pregnant and lactating women should pay special attention to allergenic foods - strawberries, melons, oranges. Their excessive use can lead to allergies in the baby, so you should be more careful about your diet.

Truth and myths

What they just don’t talk about zero-calorie foods. We have collected some interesting facts and myths for you!

Myth #1. The body spends more calories digesting negative calorie foods than it receives.

Actually this is not true. For example, you ate 100 g of spinach, which contains 23 calories. It will also take about 23 calories to digest, but no more.

Myth #2. You can eat as much sweet and fat as you want, eat magic foods, and lose weight at the same time.

Perhaps this is the most common misconception. But unfortunately for all admirers of tasty treats, such a miracle food has not yet been invented. If you eat a lot of sweet, starchy and fatty foods, no amount of low-calorie foods will help you lose weight.

Myth #3. Zero calorie foods help burn fat.

In fact, regular exercise and an active lifestyle burn fat, and zero-calorie foods help speed up metabolism and improve digestion.

And now let's move from myths to an undeniable fact:

• Foods with a negative calorie content can become your friends during weight loss - this is the best replacement for candy and other sweets. Following a diet, such products can be consumed with virtually no restrictions, even after 6 pm (but no later than 2 hours before bedtime).

What can be prepared from negative calorie foods?

The variety of products with a negative calorie content allows you to dream up and cook a huge number of healthy dishes.

The most popular and easy-to-cook dishes:

• Spicy vegetable soup.
• Chicken breast with green beans.
• Soup with spinach.
• Zucchini carpaccio.
• Lentils with celery.
• Cabbage soup.
• Salmon and fruit salad.
• Chicken with kiwi and vegetables.
• Stewed mushrooms with hot spices.
• Vegetable stew.

Opinions of doctors and nutritionists

Nutritionists confirm that zero-calorie fruits and vegetables are good for the body. But it is strongly not recommended to completely exclude foods containing proteins and fats from your diet.