It’s that time of year when many of us are counting calories and making sure we don’t eat more than we really need to.
But some foods are guaranteed to make you feel free from any guilt as you’ll burn more calories by chewing and digesting them than you’ll consume.
While most people know celery is one of these super-healthy zero calorie foods, some others on the list may surprise you, including strawberries and swede.
From apricots to asparagus, and garlic to grapefruit, these very healthy snacks are what are known as zero-calorie foods, according to experts.
And when eaten in moderation they will not contribute to your daily calorie total, it’s said.
Apples
Calorie content: 47kcals per 100g
As the old saying goes, “an apple a day keeps the doctor away”, and there may be some truth to it. Apples are packed full of important vitamins such as C and A, and can promote heart health.
Apricots
Calorie content: 12kcals per apricot
Eating apricots is said to help reduce the risk of strokes and heart attacks. They’re also full of vitamin C, potassium and dietary fibre, which all promote good heart health.
Asparagus
Calorie content: 6kcals per spear
As well as being packed with antioxidants, it contains lots of essential vitamins such as A, C, E and K, along with plenty of fibre.
Beetroot
Calorie content: 36kcals per 100g
Beetroot is a good source of iron and folate as well as containing plenty of antioxidants. It has also been said to lower blood pressure, to boost exercise performance and to prevent dementia.
Broccoli
Calorie content: 33kcals per 100g
Broccoli is a great source of vitamins K and C, and also has lots of potassium and fibre. In addition it contains plenty of the powerful antioxidant Vitamin C, which is said to help cuts heal quicker and fight off diseases, including cancers.
Cauliflower
Calorie content: 3kcals per floret
One serving of cauliflower is said to contain 77 percent of an adult’s daily recommended allowance for vitamin C. The vegetable is also a great source of other important vitamins.
Celery
Calorie content: 2kcals per stick
It’s mainly water, which is why you’ll burn more calories than consume them when you eat this vegetable.
Cranberries
Calorie content: 15kcals per 100g
These red fruits are another great source of vitamin C, as well as fibre, manganese and plenty of antioxidants.
Watercress
Calorie content: 4kcals per quarter of a bunch
Watercress is thought to have medicinal properties and contains particularly high levels of vitamin K – important for bone health – and vitamin A (eye health). It also contains glucosinolate compounds, which have been found to have anti-cancer properties.
Cucumber
Calorie content: 10kcals per 100g
This vegetable is mostly water, and helps flush toxins from the body. It also helps you stay hydrated, and contributes to heart and eye health.
Fennel
Calorie content: 12kcals per 100g
As well as containing lots of fibre, it is thought that fennel helps to rebalance the female sex hormones blamed for some of the symptoms of PMT.
Garlic
Calorie content: 49kcals per 100g
It won’t be zero calories if you eat too much of it, but you’ll burn off more calories than you consume if you eat one clove, it’s said.
Grapefruit
Calorie content: 24kcals per half a grapefruit
A study has found that drinking grapefruit juice when eating fatty food lowers the amount of weight put on by up to a fifth.
Green Beans
Calorie content: 24kcals per 100g
Eating green beans will help you get a flat stomach, according to some nutritionists. It’s packed full of essential vitamins and vitamins, as well as some protein, too.
Kale
Calorie content: 33kcals per 100g
There are dozens of claims about the cancer-beating properties of kale, and while some nutritionists say eating broccoli and Brussels sprouts is actually better for you, the vegetable still contains plenty of essential vitamins.
Leeks
Calorie content: 22kcals per 100g
Leeks are an excellent source of vitamin K as well as manganese, vitamin B6, copper, iron and vitamin C.
Lemons
Calorie content: 3kcals per slice
When life gives you lemons… just eat them. A slice contains just three calories, meaning you’ll burn more or the same number – making it a zero- calorie food in moderation.
Lettuce
Calorie content: 14kcals per 100g
Made up mostly of water, a lettuce leaf won’t contribute to your daily calorie intake.
Onion
Calorie content: 7kcals in one slice
Every recipe book will contain more than a few recipes containing this staple ingredient, but in moderation you’ll burn more calories by eating it than you consume.
Raspberries
Calorie content: 1kcal per raspberry
Raspberries contain very high levels of vitamin C, and it’s said that eating them could help to boost fertility.
Strawberries
Calorie content: 3kcals per fruit
Strawberries contain more vitamin C than the equivalent amount of a orange, and have been said to aid digestion.
Swede
Calorie content: 24kcals per 100g
Swedes are low in calories, making them an ideal food for slimmers. They supply a reasonable amount of vitamin C, about 20 percent of the RDA in an 85g cooked portion, as well as some beta-carotene for a healthy immune system.
Watermelon
Calorie content: 16kcals in a quarter of a slice
It’s said this fruit can help hydrate you just as much as a glass of water can (it’s 92 percent water, after all), and it’s also reported to prevent heart attacks and weight gain because it halts the build-up of bad cholesterol.