30 Foods Under 40 Calories, with Recipes

By Amy O'Connor
Updated January 22, 2020
Credit: Adobe Stock
Negative calorie foods, which burn more fat and calories than they contribute, are a myth. But these low-calorie foods and recipes come close. Eat them several times a day for fast, easy weight loss.
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Cut calories with these foods

If you've hit a weight loss plateau, it's time to swap in some foods that will help jump-start your slim down. Watch this video for low-calorie foods that you can eat to help you shed pounds.

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Arugula

Credit: Getty Images

Calories: 4 per cup

This delicate, peppery green is amazingly low in everything you don’t want, especially calories, fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol. It is, however, loaded with crunch and packed with fiber, vitamins A, C and K, and other nutrients, including potassium.

Perfect in salads, soups, or anywhere you would use leafy greens, arugula may even boost your romantic life! Evidence suggests that the minerals and antioxidants packed into dark, leafy greens are essential for our sexual health because they help block absorption of toxins that dampen the libido.

Try this recipe: Arugula Soup

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Asparagus

Credit: Danny Kim for TIME

Calories: 27 per cup

Asparagus is traditionally known as a detoxifying food, because it contains high levels of an amino acid that acts as a diuretic, flushing excess fluid out of your system. It also helps speed the metabolism of alcohol and other toxins (it’s a surprising hangover remedy).

Asparagus is also a powerhouse of vitamins and minerals, including vitamins A, C, E, and K, B6, folate, iron, copper, and even protein. We love the tender shoots in their most natural form, raw and tossed into salads, or steamed.

Try this recipe: Grilled Asparagus and 6-Minute Egg

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Broccoli

Calories: 31 per cup

Broccoli is amazingly low in calories, but it always makes our list of the top superfoods for a reason. Not only is it packed with fiber, vitamins, and minerals, it contains powerful antioxidants that may improve your odds of breast cancer survival and reduce the risk of colon cancer.

The chemical in broccoli responsible for the protective effect is called sulforaphane, and yes, it gives broccoli its slightly bitter flavor.

Try this recipe: Broccoli & Feta Omelet with Toast

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Broth

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Calories: 10 per cup

Clear beef, chicken, miso, seafood, or vegetable broth is a dieter’s secret weapon, nourishing and filling your body for almost zero calories, especially if you toss in leafy greens and lean meat. Broth is the ultimate “high volume food,” meaning you can eat large amounts for very few calories and still feel full. It all comes down to calories per bite, or in this case, slurp.

"By choosing foods that have fewer calories per bite, your portion size grows, but your overall calorie count decreases," explains Barbara Rolls, PhD, the creator of Volumetrics and author of the new book The Ultimate Volumetrics Diet. "So you end up with a satisfying amount of food."

The bad: This food is very high in Sodium. Read More

Try this recipe: Light French Onion Soup

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Brussel sprouts

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Calories: 38 per cup

Brussels sprouts are super-low in calories but loaded with cancer-preventing phytonutrients and fiber. These veggies, sometimes called little cabbages, get a bad rap, but they taste great with a sweet or tangy sauce.

Try this recipe: Chicken Breast With Shaved Brussels Sprouts

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Cabbage

Credit: Getty Images

Calories: 22 per cup

Crunchy, sweet, and affordable! How can a food that is so humble, with so few calories, be so incredibly good for you? Cabbage packs vitamins, minerals, fibers, and several phytonutrients thought to prevent cancer. Glucosinolate is a metabolic detoxifier and sulphoraphane is a powerful anti-carcinogenic.

Purple cabbage also contains anthocyanins and other natural chemicals that boost cellular repair and block cancer growth. Eat up!

Try this recipe: Sweet Cabbage Salad

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Lettuce

Lettuce is low in calories, and relatively high in nutrients, which makes it the perfect food for those counting calories. But before you stock up on these power greens, watch this Cooking Light video to learn how to keep your lettuce fresh and crisp for longer.

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Beets

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Calories: 37 per 1/2 cup

Beets are sweet but have very few calories—so you can have something sweet without the guilt. They also are rich in cancer-fighting antioxidants.

Beyond their rich, earthy deliciousness, beets are also a nutritional powerhouse. Rich in iron, fiber, folate, and potassium, they’re an excellent way to boost the nutrition in a salad or pasta dish. They get their gorgeous color from betanin, a potent antioxidant.

Try this recipe: Savory Beet Soup

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Cauliflower

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Try this crispy, flavorful new way to eat the nutritious veggie.

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Coffee

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In this video from ChefSteps.com, you’ll learn how to whip up the perfect glass of refreshing, restaurant-style cold brew coffee right in your kitchen. The only ingredients you’ll need are coffee and water!

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Grapefruit

This salad combines plenty of nutrient-dense superfoods into one delicious dish. Watch this video for a quick demonstration of the grapefruit and avocado salad with seared salmon.

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Mushrooms

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Calories: 15 per cup

Meaty and incredibly low-cal, mushrooms are also incredibly diverse. White button, Portobello, shiitake, and Maitake are just a few of the varieties you'll find in your grocery store. Fortunately, just about all mushrooms contain some form of immune-boosting antioxidants, along with potassium, B vitamins, and fiber.

Shiitakes, for example, contain lentinan, a nutrient that is thought to have anticancer properties. All mushrooms are good sources of vitamin D, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, pantothenic acid, phosphorus, potassium, copper and selenium.

Try this recipe: Vegetarian Stuffed Mushrooms

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Tomatoes

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Packed with heart-healthy monounsaturated fats and high in fiber, these sandwich stackers are a healthier version of the BLT that leave you feeling satisfied without any of the saturated fat. They’re perfect for an outdoor cookout or even a low-key summer evening supper when you don’t want to spend all of your time prepping in the kitchen. Watch the video for the recipe and the step-by-step demonstration.

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Turnips

Calories: 36 per cup

The potatoes skinnier cousin, turnips are a great source of fiber and vitamin C, and have a low glycemic load. We love them diced and tossed into soups or stews, or sliced raw and used in crudite (they taste surprisingly mild and crunchy!).

Try this recipe: North African-Spiced Vegetable Tagine

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Watercress

Salmon is rich in protein, heart-helping omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamin D. Plus, this recipe is low in carbohydrates!

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Zucchini

Skip starchy arborio rice - remake this classic risotto with fiber-rich, filling barley. Same great taste - for fewer calories

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Spinach

Calories: 7 per cup

Tender and flavorful, this leafy green is rich in iron, folic acid, and vitamin K. It also contains disease-fighting antioxidants beta-carotene and vitamin C, as well as the phytochemical lutein, which protects eyes against age-related macular degeneration.

Use as a substitute for lettuce in salad or lightly sauté with shredded carrot, sliced mushrooms, and garlic for a savory omelet filling.

Try this recipe: Sweet Potato and Spinach Quesadillas

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Lemons and limes

Need to cut time in the kitchen? This penne with chicken recipe will slash cook time and calories.

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Kale

What's the recipe for weight loss? It may be this kale salad. The star ingredient is grapefruit, one of the top superfoods for weight loss. Watch the video to see Health food director Beth Lipton explain the science behind this amazing recipe. Get the recipe: Raw Kale, Grapefruit, and Toasted Hazelnut Salad

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Garlic

Make these delicious potatoes for comfort food-made-healthy. In this video, find out how you can whip up a batch of creamy garlic mashed potatoes the whole family will love.

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Peppers

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Calories: 30 per half cup

Hot or mild, peppers are packed with vitamin C fiber for negligible calories. The heat in hot peppers signals the presence of capsaicin, a compound that, along with capsiate, can propel the body to scorch an extra 50 to 100 calories following a spicy meal.

Go for: Chilies as hot as you can stand. (But watch out! The hottest ones—habanero, Scotch bonnet, and Thai or Indian peppers—are too fiery for many people.)

Try this recipe: Stuffed Roasted Red Peppers

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Onions

Calories: 32 per half cup

Don’t hold the onions! These flavorful bulbs, which range from sweet to sharp in flavor, boast allyl sulfides, compounds that have been shown to protect against endometrial cancer in laboratory studies.

Try this recipe: Bistro-Style French Onion Soup

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Pumpkin

Yes, this chili is perfect for fall, but you can also enjoy it year-round, thanks to canned pumpkin puree. Black beans deliver protein, and vegetables like carrots, red peppers, and tomatoes bump up the nutrients.

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