I have read a bit about some foods being negative calorie in that it takes more energy to digest them than their actual caloric value. This means you can eat as much as you like without gaining weight, or so it is claimed. They are all fruits and vegetables. Examples of such foods are celery, carrots, turnips, apples, oranges etc. Does anyone subscribe to this theory?

I imagine with something like celery might be possible. I am skeptical of the fruits tho and all that sugar. But in general, that is how I eat. When I'm really hungry, I will pile a heaping plate of green vegetables and its usually only a couple hundred calories worth for many many servings.

NOT TRUE! I've asked my mother this question years ago - She's an RN and she was astonished that ideas like that are even passed around! While they are low on calories and hell - we should be eating as many fruits and veggies as possible!! - they don't have a deficit in calories... so don't plan on making eating those your exercise routine haha but really - why not munch on some celery instead of a bag of chips?

Thanks for the responses! I too find it hard to believe. Especially when some items like mangoes for instance can sometimes be so sweet (and yummy). Hard to believe you can eat a lot of that and not put on weight. It's easier to believe when it's celery

The idea of a negative-calorie diet may sound strange, but it's actually a real phenomenon that does facilitate weight loss. That's because these diets are so rich in foods so low in calories that the body expends more calories diegesting a food then than that food itself contains.
For example, the body burns 80 calories digesting a 25-calorie piece of broccoli, leaving you with negative 55 calories! To enjoy the benefits, nosh on negative-calorie foods like asparagus, apples, carrots, cucumbers, onions, oranges, papaya, pineapple, spinach and zucchini.

Sounds good but I read.....One thing to remember, negative calorie foods are eaten in their natural state, if you cook, add butter, and other things to them it changes the caloric makeup of the food. In addition, this diet plan is very restrictive to just fruits and vegetables. This would be very hard to stick to if you were not a committed vegitarian.


Now I love my vegetables but even I can't eat them all raw with nothing added.

I think there is definately something to be said for this diet, and it works. However the bottom line is, its still calorie deprivation, make no mistake. And I do use this one or two days a week. Its basically just your body's basic caloric needs vs. the small amount of calories you feed it.

any diet that cuts out entire groups of food, is not a healthy diet in the long run. It's good to add these foods to your diet, but it should not completely be your diet.

This could be my new favorite snack food!

Dear Yahoo!:
Is it true that when you eat celery, you burn more calories than you actually consume?
Pam


Dear Pam:
It may seem like wishful thinking to believe that such a "negative calorie" food exists, but in the case of celery, it appears to be true. According to several sources we found with a search on "celery burn calories," an 8-inch stalk of celery contains approximately 6 calories. But the mere act of digesting said stalk burns more than 6 calories, resulting in a negative caloric intake.
One of our favorite and most-trusted resources, Urban Legends Reference Pages, does an admirable job of summing up the true urban legend. Contrary to popular belief, chewing and swallowing the celery does not burn the calories, rather it is the act of digesting the tough cellulose that accounts for the energy expended. The same can be said of drinking a cold, low-calorie drink -- the body burns more calories warming the liquid to body temperature than are typically consumed.

As good as this may sound, "In a world where it takes 3,500 calories to work off a single pound of fat, feasting on celery would make only the merest difference."

Celery is not the only so-called negative-calorie food out there. If properly prepared, digesting cauliflower, cucumbers, spinach, and many others can cause your body to burn more calories than you ingest. But before you embark on any crash diet, just remember that your body needs a certain amount of calories per day to function. Eating some of these "negative-calorie" fruits and vegetables may help you control cravings and lose weight but should be only part of a balanced diet coupled with exercise.

And for the record, celery with peanut butter or ranch dressing does not count as a negative-calorie food!

Are more negative calorie foods

asparagus
beet
broccoli
green cabbage
carrot
cauliflower
celery root
celery chicory
hot chili peppers
cucumber
dandelion
endive
garden
watercress
garlic
green beans
zucchini
apple
cranberries
grapefruit
lemon
mango
orange
pineapple
raspberries
strawberries
tangerine
lamb's lettuce
lettuce
onion
papaya
radishes
spinach
turnip

Wow! I learned something new today. I know munching on veggies throughout the day is good for you but i had no idea!

I find it hard to believe about mango and pineapple. I have eaten a lot of pineapple this week as it is cheap at the moment, filling and delicious, but it is very sweet as well. Maybe if you eat nothing but the tough pineapple core and skin (yuk!). Celery I can understand as it is so fibrous, but mango?

Great
I lOVE ORANGE

i better start buying celery! i really love celery thanks for the info!

i found that really interesting, thankyou for pointing that out guys. i will definitely make more effort to much throught the fruit and veggies now instead of reaching for the high carbs