Low-calorie foods: the list with calories
If you want to eat fewer calories without going hungry, you need foods with lots of volume and little energy. Here are the lowest-calorie foods from the German Nutrient Database (BLS) – with values per 100 g and per serving.
FoodScope editorial team5 min read
Under EU law, a food may be labelled “low energy” if it contains at most 40 kcal per 100 g, or at most 20 kcal per 100 ml for drinks. The lowest-calorie foods are leafy salads, cucumber, spinach, tomato, zucchini and mushrooms with under 30 kcal per 100 g. They fill you up with lots of water and fibre – ideally combined with a protein source such as low-fat quark, skyr or fish.
What does low-calorie mean?
Under the EU regulation on nutrition and health claims, a food may be advertised as “low energy” if it contains no more than 40 kcal per 100 g (solids) or 20 kcal per 100 ml (liquids). In everyday language this is usually called “low-calorie”.
- Energy density
- Energy density describes how many calories a food provides per gram. Foods with a low energy density put far more volume on your plate for the same number of calories – and therefore fill you up more easily.
| Energy density | kcal per gram | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| very low | under 0.6 | vegetables, salad, berries, melon |
| low | 0.6–1.5 | low-fat quark, banana, boiled potatoes, cooked rice, chicken breast, egg |
| medium | 1.5–4 | wholemeal bread, French fries, Gouda |
| high | over 4 | nuts, chocolate, potato chips, croissant, oil |
Vegetables and mushrooms with 40 kcal or less
Almost all vegetables are low in calories. Leafy salads and cucumber lead with fewer than 20 kcal per 100 g – a whole cucumber has barely more calories than a tablespoon of oil.
| Food | kcal per 100 g | Serving | kcal per serving |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iceberg lettuce | 15 | 1 serving (75 g) | 11 |
| Cucumber | 16 | 1 cucumber (400 g) | 64 |
| Spinach | 18 | 1 serving (200 g) | 36 |
| Lettuce | 18 | 1 serving (50 g) | 9 |
| Lamb's lettuce | 18 | 1 serving (50 g) | 9 |
| Eggplant | 19 | 1 eggplant (300 g) | 57 |
| Arugula | 21 | 1 handful (20 g) | 4 |
| Tomato | 22 | 1 medium tomato (100 g) | 22 |
| Zucchini | 22 | 1 zucchini (250 g) | 55 |
| Sauerkraut | 23 | 1 serving (150 g) | 35 |
| Mushrooms | 28 | 1 pack (250 g) | 70 |
| Green beans | 28 | 1 serving (200 g) | 56 |
| Asparagus | 28 | 1 serving (main course, 400 g) | 112 |
| Pumpkin (Hokkaido) | 30 | 1 serving (200 g) | 60 |
| White cabbage | 32 | 1 serving (200 g) | 64 |
| Onion | 34 | 1 medium onion (80 g) | 27 |
| Broccoli | 35 | 1 serving (200 g) | 70 |
| Cauliflower | 35 | 1 serving (200 g) | 70 |
| Red bell pepper | 36 | 1 bell pepper (150 g) | 54 |
| Leek | 36 | 1 stalk (150 g) | 54 |
| Carrot | 40 | 1 medium carrot (80 g) | 32 |
| Brussels sprouts | 40 | 1 serving (200 g) | 80 |
Low-calorie fruit
Fruit contains fruit sugar and therefore usually has a few more calories than vegetables – at 35–60 kcal per 100 g it is still light. Melons, grapefruit and berries are the lowest. Juices are not a good substitute: they lack the fibre, and a glass goes down quickly.
| Food | kcal per 100 g | Serving | kcal per serving |
|---|---|---|---|
| Watermelon | 35 | 1 wedge (200 g) | 70 |
| Grapefruit | 35 | ½ grapefruit (140 g) | 49 |
| Strawberries | 38 | 1 serving (150 g) | 57 |
| Peach | 39 | 1 peach (120 g) | 47 |
| Lemon | 40 | 1 lemon (80 g) | 32 |
| Raspberries | 43 | 1 punnet (125 g) | 54 |
| Pineapple | 46 | 1 slice (80 g) | 37 |
| Honeydew melon | 46 | 1 wedge (150 g) | 69 |
| Plum | 48 | 1 plum (30 g) | 14 |
| Orange | 49 | 1 orange (150 g) | 74 |
| Mandarin | 53 | 1 mandarin (60 g) | 32 |
| Apple | 58 | 1 medium apple (150 g) | 87 |
| Pear | 58 | 1 pear (150 g) | 87 |
| Mango | 60 | 1 mango (300 g) | 180 |
Filling foods: high in protein, low in calories
Vegetables alone don’t keep you full for long. Protein is the most satiating nutrient per calorie – these foods provide at least 10 g of protein per 100 g with few calories. More in the guide How much protein per day?
| Food | kcal per 100 g | Serving | kcal per serving |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skyr | 64 | 1 small pot (150 g) | 96 |
| Low-fat quark | 66 | 1 tub (250 g) | 165 |
| Cottage cheese | 73 | 1 tub (200 g) | 146 |
| Cod | 79 | 1 cod fillet (150 g) | 119 |
| Shrimp | 87 | 1 serving (100 g) | 87 |
| Canned tuna (in water) | 95 | 1 can (drained, 140 g) | 133 |
| Turkey breast | 105 | 1 turkey breast fillet (150 g) | 158 |
| Chicken breast | 109 | 1 chicken breast fillet (150 g) | 164 |
How to stay full on fewer calories
- Volume first: start with salad, vegetable soup or raw vegetables – they fill your stomach before the energy-dense parts of the meal.
- Protein with every meal: low-fat quark, skyr, fish, poultry, legumes or tofu.
- Fibre: wholegrains, legumes and vegetables keep you full longer than white-flour products.
- Go easy on fat, but not to zero: a tablespoon of oil on your vegetables (about 90 kcal) helps you absorb the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K.
- Don’t drink your calories: water, unsweetened tea and black coffee instead of juice, soft drinks and alcohol.
Are there negative-calorie foods?
No. The idea is that digesting cucumber or celery costs more energy than they provide. In reality, digestion (the thermic effect of food) uses only about 10 % of the energy you take in – a bit more with a high-protein diet. Low-calorie foods still help with weight loss because they deliver a lot of volume for little energy.
Keep an eye on calories with FoodScope
Whether a plate is really as light as it looks, FoodScope shows you after a single photo – including oil, dressing and sides. The values come from the same German Nutrient Database as the tables above.
Frequently asked questions
Which foods have the fewest calories?
Among solid foods it is leafy salads and vegetables: iceberg lettuce (15 kcal per 100 g), cucumber (16 kcal), lamb’s lettuce, lettuce and spinach (18 kcal each) and eggplant (19 kcal). Water, unsweetened tea and black coffee have practically no calories.
When is a food considered low-calorie?
Under EU law, a food may be labelled “low energy” if it contains at most 40 kcal per 100 g, or 20 kcal per 100 ml for drinks.
Which fruit is low in calories?
Watermelon and grapefruit (35 kcal per 100 g each), strawberries (38 kcal), peach (39 kcal) and raspberries (43 kcal). Bananas (79 kcal) and dried fruit have considerably more.
Can you lose weight with low-calorie foods alone?
They make a calorie deficit much easier but do not replace a balanced diet: you also need protein, healthy fats and enough energy. Very low calorie intakes should only be followed under medical supervision. Work out your target with the calorie calculator.