Restricting calories and constant dieting is not a great idea. It’s always best to eat everything you want but in moderation. However, we all have those days where we definitely ate enough but we still want to munch on something late at night. And you know chocolates, sweets or chips are not a great idea. Those will only make your skin break out and are very likely to turn into unwanted pounds on your body. So here are some foods that contain very little calories, so you can munch on them guilt-free and not worry about the scale.
1. Cucumber
Cucumbers contain very little calories so they make for a great snack at any time of the day. It’s essentially crunchy water. Refreshing, good for your skin and if you’re not into drinking 8 glasses of water a day you can load up on cucumbers instead.
2. Celery
Next time you feel like having buttery popcorn while watching a movie at home – we suggest you just cut up celery stalks into small pieces and crunch on those instead. Because honestly, popcorn is empty but bad calories, while celery is very low in calories and it’s good for you.
3. Carrots
Carrots make a great snack, especially if you grab a bag of baby carrots instead of a bag of chips. They’re filling, delicious and full of vitamins. You know how your mom told you carrots are good for eyesight? Well, she wasn’t lying.
4. Cabbage
Cabbage is a great vegetable to use when bulking out a meal or a salad. It contains only 22 calories per 100 grams and believe me, 100 grams might not sound like a lot, but cabbage is light, so you’ll struggle to eat more than that.
5. Broccoli
Grow up, broccoli is actually delicious and can be eaten cooked and raw. It’s one of the most nutritionally packed veggies out there and just 100 grams of it has all the vitamin C you need in a day. That’s right, lots of people think citrus fruits have the monopoly on vitamin C, but that’s not true.
6. Apples
100 grams of apples contain only 52 calories, and the much needed 3 grams of fiber which makes them a very filling snack. They’re a great alternative to candy since they’re sweet and juicy.
7. Arugula
We all need to eat more greens. Arugula has a specific taste that you will either love or hate. But it’s great in salads and it has almost zero calories yet it contains protein, calcium, potassium and vitamin K.
8. Iceberg Lettuce
If you don’t like the taste of arugula, you probably don’t mind iceberg lettuce. It’s crunchy and has a refreshing quality to it. It’s great as a salad base, or as a way of adding crunch and freshness to a sandwich or burger.
9. Kale
This dark leafy green packs a surprising amount of vitamin K, double the daily amount of vitamin C, it’s a great source of magnesium, iron and Vitamin B-6. It might be a bit tougher to chew than most leafy greens but massaging the leaves with lemon juice and olive oil and sprinkling them with some salt will make the Kale softer and provide a great dressing for your salad.
10. Mushrooms
Mushrooms are generally low in calories and therefore are great for bulking out stir-fries or even salads. You can also use them as a substitute for meat. Because of their spongy texture, they absorb flavors easily and you can season and make them taste like meat.