Calories provide the energy your body needs to function and stay alive, and scientifically, burning more calories than you consume causes weight loss.

Because of this thinking, some diets and eating plans rely on calorie counting to generate weight loss.

In this sense, natural foods that contain few calories may provide less energy than expected - this is because your body needs to work to digest them.

So if you are trying to lower your total caloric intake, eating more ingredients with nearly zero calories such as certain vegetables and greens, is an easy way to achieve this goal.

Arugula

Arugula is a dark green leafy vegetable that has a peppery flavor. Commonly used in salads, it is rich in vitamin K and also contains folate, calcium, and potassium.

Half a cup (10 grams) of arugula has only three calories .

Chard

It is also on the list of vegetables with almost zero calories. It is extremely rich in vitamin K, a nutrient that helps in proper blood clotting.

One cup (36 grams) of chard has only seven calories and contains 374% of the recommended daily intake for vitamin K.

Asparagus

All types of asparagus are healthy, but purple asparagus has compounds called anthocyanins, which can help prevent heart disease.

One cup (134 grams) of asparagus has only 27 calories and is rich in vitamin K and folate, providing 70% and 17% of the recommended daily intake amounts, respectively.

Also read: Best substitutes for sweets

Cucumber

Commonly found in salads, it is also used to flavor water together with fruits and herbs.

Because cucumbers are mainly made up of water, they are very low in caloric value - half a cup (52 grams) has only eight calories .

Broccoli

Broccoli is one of the most nutritious vegetables on the planet. It is a member of the cruciferous vegetable family and can help fight cancer.

One cup (91 grams) of broccoli has only 31 calories and more than 100% of the amount of vitamin C that most people need per day.

Also read: Easily Digestible Foods

Cabbage

Cabbage is a vegetable with green or purple leaves. It is an ingredient in salads, soups, and stews.

Contains only 22 calories per cup (89 grams).

Cauliflower

In recent years, cauliflower has become very popular as a substitute for high-carbohydrate vegetables or grains, such as rice.

One cup (100 grams) of cauliflower has 25 calories and only five grams of carbohydrates.

Cabbage

The vegetable has gained popularity in recent years for its impressive nutritional benefits.

Kale is one of the richest sources of vitamin K there is. One cup (67 grams) has about seven times the amount of vitamin K the average person needs per day and only 34 calories .

Spinach

Spinach is another dark green leafy vegetable full of vitamins and minerals and with almost zero calories.

It is rich in vitamin K, vitamin A, folate, and has more protein than some other vegetables.

A one-cup (30 grams) serving of spinach has only seven calories .

Also read: Flexible diet: What it is and how to do it

Tomato

Popular and highly nutritious, it contains a beneficial compound called lycopene, which helps protect against cancer, inflammation, and heart disease.

One cup (149 grams) of cherry tomatoes has 27 calories .

Watercress

Although watercress is not as popular as other leaves, it is very nutritious.

One cup (34 grams) of this vegetable provides 106% of the daily recommendation for vitamin K, 24% for vitamin C and 22% for vitamin A - and all for only 4 calories .

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Zucchini

In recent years, the use of zucchini as a substitute for noodles and other carbohydrate foods has become very popular.

It is also very low in calories, with only 18 calories per cup (124 grams).