The term negative-calorie food typically refers to a food which supposedly takes more calories to eat, digest, and process than it naturally contains and gives to your body. Despite its recurring popularity in dieting guides, there actually is NO evidence supporting the idea that any food is calorically negative. So the answer is NO. In fact, even low-calorie foods contain more calories than it takes to break them down and absorb them. It’s no wonder that the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics says that foods such as celery, lettuce, and cucumbers still count toward your day's calories, despite containing very few calories.

Food provides your body with a variety of nutrients, including three main categories that dole out energy in the form of calories: carbs, fats, and proteins. Your body has to expend energy in order to digest and process any food you eat. The amount of energy required varies based on the food.
If negative-calorie foods existed, you could theoretically lose weight by eating them, as you would use more calories eating and digesting them than you gain from their calorie content.

Let’s say you wanted to take on this challenge and eat these negative-calorie foods. Your diet would consist of ice, celery, cucumbers, onions, lettuce, and some fruit here and there. Does that sound sustainable? Not really.

Eating these negative-calorie foods can definitely be part of a healthy diet from a nutrient standpoint, but they are not enough to support a strong, capable body. What’s more, due to their low calorie and high water contents, you can often eat a fairly large volume of these foods without consuming too many calories.

Fruits and vegetables with high water content and few calories are often marketed as negative-calorie. Some of these include: celery, cucumbers, carrots, lettuce, broccoli, grapefruit, tomatoes, watermelon, lemons, and apples.

We acknowledge that there are nutrients in most of these so-called negative-calorie foods, and they belong in a balanced diet. But ultimately the term “negative-calorie food” is just a fancy catchphrase to grab the attention of those who want to lose weight.

Realistically, there is no magical food or single type of foods that will help you lose weight immediately. Instead of trying to eat negative-calorie foods, focus on the positives that can lead to real lifestyle changes, like portion control, appropriate food choices, consistent exercise, and balance. Ultimately, starving yourself by focusing on these negative calorie foods will lead to eventual weight gain.

If you want to learn more about nutritious foods and exercise regimens that can lead to real lifestyle changes, click the button below for a complimentary assessment with a certified Success Studio personal trainer.