Photo: Dana Tentis

What food is 0 calories?

The only truly zero calorie food is water, but low calorie foods are also grouped in. Still, we view eating only zero or negative calorie foods as fad dieting nonsense similar to drinking ice cold water instead of room temperature water (which burns around 5 extra calories per glass, by the way).

ryanandalex.com - Zero Calorie Food List For Weight Loss - Ryan and Alex Duo Life

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This list of zero calorie foods includes foods that you can eat in unlimited quantities, without derailing your weight loss goals.

1. Water

Calories per serving: 0 calories

The only truly zero calorie food on this list, water is essential for your weight loss. Hydration promotes better sleep which helps curb cravings and keeps your body satiated among other benefits we write in our article about ‘Why (and How) You Should Drink a Gallon of Water a Day.’ When dehydration kicks in, your brain can confuse hunger for thirst. If you’re hungry, but it’s not mealtime, reach for a big glass of water instead. So how much water should you be drinking a day? Here’s our rule of thumb: Take half your body weight in pounds and drink that many fluid ounces. For example, a 200-pound person should drink 100 fl. oz. of water a day. Some people need more, while some need less, but it’s a good starting point.

2. Vitamins and Supplements

Calories per serving: 0 calories

Your general multi-vitamins do not contain calories. Supplements, like natural powders such as maca or cacao, are typically also low in calories and are effective caffeine alternatives. One major exception are chia seeds, which are higher in calories (137 calories per ounce), although don’t let that deter you from taking them. They are loaded with fiber. Just schedule it into your targeted daily calories.

3. Lemon or Lime

Calories per serving: 1 calorie per wedge

Lemon and lime can be used in unlimited quantities to brighten up your meals and beverages. They fall into the bucket of zero calorie foods because they more or less have no calories, with one wedge of lemon producing just 1 calorie worth of juice. Add lemon and lime to your meals (it’s great on both fish and chicken) and your beverages. Nothing is as refreshing as crisp lemon water, which is a popular zero-calorie drink during intermittent fasting during fasting hours. Interested in intermittent fasting? After intermittent fasting for nearly three years, we wrote up a comprehensive ‘Intermittent Fasting How-To Guide.‘

4. Herbs

Calories per serving: 1 calorie in a small bunch of fresh herbs

Whether it’s a few springs or leaves of fresh thyme or basil, herbs are nearly zero-calorie foods that pack a lot of punch.

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Keeping a small herb garden in the kitchen window is one of our favorite reminders to add herbs like basil, mint, oregano, and rosemary to our meals, drinks, shakes, smoothies, and even to our grill embers to smoke our vegetables.

5. Hot Sauce (Tabasco or Mexican Only)

Calories per serving: 1 calorie per teaspoon

Similar to the chilies below, hot sauce, particularly fresh, Mexican-style hot sauces like Cholula and Valentina, are very low in calories. Hot sauce is a zero calorie food that you can eat in unlimited amounts without it affecting your weight loss.

6. Coffee and Tea

Calories per serving: 2 calories per cup

Outside of added creamer or milk, coffee and tea count as a zero-calorie food and something that many drink while fasting. Living in Colombia has taught us a lot about coffee, and for best taste and nutrition, we recommend grinding fresh coffee beans and preparing your coffee in a French press. The best coffee (“Specialty grade” and roasted days prior) we have found in the US comes from JavaPresse. We have been using one of their manual burr grinders for years.

7. Chiles

Varieties such as jalapeño, ancho, pasilla, guajilla, habanero, etc.

Calories per serving: 2-4 calories per raw chile

After spending a year living in Mexico, chilies became a powerful way to flavor our food in the fewest amount of calories. While the size of chilies of course varies, raw chilies are very low in calories. Add some to your next meal, if you dare!

8. Mustard

Calories per serving: 3 calories in 1 teaspoon or packet

Healthy food doesn’t mean “bland” food. Finding high-quality mustards at a specialty shop is one of our favorite ways to dress up our breakfast eggs and salads. We always have a jar of this zero calorie food in our refrigerator. This 4-Pack on Amazon is a go-to.

9. Vinegar

Calories per serving: 3-6 calories in 1 tablespoon

Adding vinegar into your cooking, like apple cider, sherry or red wine vinegar, adds depth of flavor into many meat and vegetable dishes. We categorize vinegar as one of our ‘unlimited foods’ for our clients. One of our favorite ways to use vinegar is our early morning drinks of water (boiled), lemon (1/4 slice), cinnamon (dash), and apple cider vinegar (1 ounce) to aid in digestion.

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10. Garlic

Calories per serving: 4 calories per clove

Packed with anti-inflammatories and immunity-boosting benefits, add garlic to your list of nearly zero-calorie foods. At just 4 calories per wedge, load up your meals and dressings. To capture all the nutritional benefits of this zero calorie food, you have to buy full cloves and mince or chop them just before cooking or eating them.

11. Ginger

Calories per serving: 9 calories per half-inch chunk

Fresh ginger is one of our mainstays. Present in our Asian stir fry, herbal teas, and favorite Gingerbread Man Shake, ginger also aids in digestion, immunity, and nauseousness.

12. Green Onion

Calories per serving: 10 calories per 1/4 cup

Green onions and scallions qualify under our unlimited, nearly zero-calorie food list with how much taste they add with just a few stalks. Fun fact, you eat the white part of the green onion which has the most flavor. Save the green ends for garnish.

13. Flavor Extracts

Such as pure vanilla, peppermint, and almond.

Calories per serving: 12 calories per teaspoon

Used in baking, smoothies, and homemade granola, load up on flavor extracts like vanilla, peppermint, and almond. We use these extracts when making our Instant Pot granola to manage the amount of sugar and preservatives often found in store-bought brands.

14. Cocoa Powder (Unsweetened)

Calories per serving: 12 calories per tablespoon

Believe it or not, cocoa powder (not to be confused with cacao powder which is raw) has very few calories while still imparting significant health benefits like mood-boosting and antioxidants. When trying to lose weight and craving dessert, add this zero calorie food to your shake for something sweet.

ryanandalex.com - Zero Calorie Food List For Weight Loss - Ryan and Alex Duo Life

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