Dear Editor,

Do foods really have negative calories? My friend is on a negative calorie diet where she can eat all she wants and lose weight. Is this true and what are the foods?

Joyce
 

Dear Joyce,

All foods have calories. Obviously some foods have more calories than others but your friend is referring to the foods that use more calories to digest, because of the extra fiber. It takes about 6 calories to burn 1 gram of fiber as oppose to 2 calories to burn 1 gram of fat.  Therefore, foods that are high in fiber take more calories to digest than other foods.

A diet made of high fiber vegetables (which are naturally low in calories) will help lower your overall calorie intake and make you feel more satisfied because of the bulk. It will also take slightly more calories to burn fiber-rich foods. Though a negative calorie diet sounds good, it’s the overall calorie intake that matters.

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