What if you could eat a lot of food without having a profound effect on your waistline? Sound too good to be true? It all boils down to the fact that you need to make the right food choices. Choosing foods that are less energy-dense or pack fewer calories per serving can be great for your appetite as you get to eat a large portion without having to think about piling on the pounds.
You may even have days when you feel hungry all the time. While a short walk, a glass of water, or a little chat with a friend can possibly distract you for a short period of time, what you need is a long-term solution that’s good in every way for your health too. In such a situation, low-calorie foods can be the perfect foil to satisfy your cravings. Here’s an extensive list of the best low-calorie and less energy-dense foods that you can include in your everyday diet to help you along your path toward achieving your happy weight.
1. Green Tea
Green tea is one of the most popular beverages for weight loss and good health. It is widely consumed because it is a low-calorie beverage packed with antioxidants and other vital nutrients.1 The calorie count of 1 cup of green tea is zero calories.
2. Summer Squash
Summer squash, yellow varieties in specific, provide numerous health benefits. Yellow summer squash is high in vitamins, magnesium, fiber, potassium, and phosphorous. Yellow squash is low in calories and has lower sugar content in it. It’s considered as a good option to replace high-calorie foods in order to lose weight. The calorie count of a cup of yellow squash is about 16 calories.
3. Radish
Radish, a root crop, has very low calories in it. It is widely used in the treatment of certain ailments like jaundice, urinary disorders, and piles. A cup of grated radish has about 16 calories in it.
4. Swiss Chard
Swiss chard is very low in calories. It contains high levels of nutrients that lower blood pressure, enhance athletic performance, fight diabetes, improve bone health, and prevent cancer. A cup of swiss chard contains about 19 in it.
5. Mushrooms
Mushrooms are a good source of antioxidants, vitamins, and other minerals like copper, potassium, and phosphorous. It’s important that you cook mushrooms in order to stand the best chance of getting its multiple nutritional benefits. A cup of mushrooms contains about 22 calories.
6. Spinach
Spinach, a wonder veggie, is well-known for its nutritional, antioxidant, and anti-cancer properties. It is low in fat and cholesterol content. On the other hand, it is rich in proteins, vitamins, fibers, and other nutrients like zinc, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, and manganese.2 A cup of spinach has about 23 calories in it.
7. Bell Peppers
Red bell peppers have the highest amount of Vitamin C, phytochemicals, and carotenoids. If you are looking for low-calorie foods, in particular, green bell pepper tops the chart. Green bell pepper is low in calories and contains zero fat. It is also rich in all the essential vitamins and minerals. They contain 26 calories in a single cup.
8. Star Fruit
Star fruit is an exotic fruit, which contains very low calories. Calorie count in star fruit is comparatively much lower than other tropical fruits. It is loaded with essential nutrients, vitamins, and antioxidants that are required for our well-being. A cup of star fruit contains about 31 calories.
9. Cottage Cheese
Widely regarded as the hero of the protein world, cottage cheese contains a high level of protein along with phosphorous, calcium, and riboflavin. A single cup of cottage cheese has about 80 calories in it.
10. Shrimp
Shrimp improves bone health, aids weight loss, and lowers the risk of cardiovascular diseases. It has anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and anti-aging properties, thereby reducing your risk of having various health ailments. Shrimp contains tryptophan, an essential amino acid, that helps maintain your sleep patterns and stabilize your mood. Most importantly, shrimp is low in calories and even lower in fat. A single cup of shrimps has 99-100 calories in it.
11. Cabbage
Cabbage helps in weight loss as it is very low in calories and high in dietary fiber. To obtain all the benefits, you should include both cooked and raw purple cabbage in your diet plan. A single cup of cabbage contains 27 calories in it.3
So here you go, the superfoods that are both very filling keeping you less hungry and they contain a very low-calorie content.
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