low calorie foods mini list

I thought today would be a more light hearted letter.

As you likely already know I’ve been calorie counting since I started this journey back in Jan 1, 2015. Two more years would be my 10yr anniversary (though I don’t think anyone in the world celebrates anniversary of calorie counting).

Throughout the years I’ve figured out all the little tips and tricks that could make the journey feel a little smoother as you’re going through it day by day 

Today I wanna go through a mini list of low calorie foods. Low calorie foods meaning foods that are so low in calories it’s kinda difficult to overeat them so you could easily include more of them in your day to day diet to feel fuller and more fulfilled if need be.

So let’s get started.

Leafy greens. All leafy greens (spinach, sweet potato leaves, kale, cabbage, watercress, lettuce) are roughly 20-30kcal per 100g. 100g of leafy greens is a pretty hefty amount and could add a lot of volume to your meals. You could mix and match or pick or your favorite ones.

Mushrooms. I really feel mushrooms aren’t talked about enough. Mushroom calories are similar to leafy greens but give such different texture compared to it. Depending on the type of mushroom it’s also roughly 20-30kcal per 100g. A simple sautéed garlic mushroom is a super flavorful dish for very minimum calories.

Cucumbers. They make great snacks and side dishes. All forms of cucumber (squash, old cucumber etc.) are roughly 15kcal per 100g. You read that right, merely 15kcal. Eating a kilo of cucumbers would only be 150kcal (not that I’d recommend you eat that much.) One way I love enjoy cucumbers is cutting it up in bite size pieces, putting it in a bowl or plastic bag. 1-2 drops of sesame oil, chopped garlic, and salt. Mix/shake well with a cover and you’ve created your own typical asian cucumber salad.

Tomatoes. They’re around 18kcal per 100g. I love just having mini tomatoes in the fridge so whenever I’m feeling like a snack I know I could reach for that instead of chips.

Shirataki Noodles. If you’re in Asia, it’s likely easy to find. If you’re not, you likely have to go to some asian market to find it. It’s not zero calories as many claim but is indeed super low in calories as a noodle. It’s roughly 15g per 100g. A usual portion of noodles eating out or a pack of shin ramen is roughly 180g, so a equivalent shirataki noodle portion would still be less than 30kcal.

Why is the noodle so low in calories?

Cos it’s made from an ingredient called konjac root which consists of mostly fiber and water. It’s no miracle food though in the sense that it does give you a moment of fulfillment at the instance of eating it, but it doesn’t keep you full over time. Just something to note if you’re finding yourself hungry quickly after a meal with shirataki noodles.

Seafood. Clams, squid, shrimp, cray fish, crab etc are all relatively low in calories and high in protein. They’re all roughly in the range of 70-80kcal per 100g, which is quite low compared to more fatty cuts of meat.

Watermelon. Roughly 32kcal per 100g. It doesn’t really get better than this especially if you have a ripe and sweet watermelon. Perfect dessert, perfect snack. My only complaint would be it’s a hassle to buy whole and bring home then it’s a huge mess to cut it all up. But kinda worth it for 32kcal per 100. I usually have either watermelon or tomatoes always on standby in the fridge in case of sudden cravings.

Berries. Blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, cranberries are all roughly 32-50kcal per 100kcal. Also a great snack or ingredient for your smoothies.

Popcorn. A measurement cup is roughly 31kcal. Popcorn is actually quite low in calories if you homemade them and skip the butter. It’s usually only high calories at movies and stuff cos of all the butter used. You can make it at home and just season it with dry seasoning like garlic/onion powder and or salt/pepper and it’ll taste pretty amazing too. Nothing like fresh popcorn!

A big part of reaching weight loss goals is really just awareness and preparation. Have some of these low kcal foods ready at home so when you’re feeling hungry or have cravings you have an option to turn to rather than the convenient more caloric dense snacks and chips.

This isn’t saying you can’t have chips or chocolate, of course that’s fine too. But perhaps you only reach for them 50% of the time instead of 100%. That alone in the long run makes a big difference.

Hope this has been helpful!

—Po