Apart from water and some very thin soups, vegetables are the lowest calorie food group. While nearly every vegetable is low in calories, some are lower than others.
To keep vegetables low in calories and retain the most nutrients, it is best to eat them raw or steamed.
Low-calorie vegetables include watercress, lettuce, arugula, sprouts, napa cabbage, cucumber, and celery. Below are the 20 lowest calorie vegetables. For more see the full ranking of over 200 low-calorie vegetables.
You can check our data against the USDA by clicking the (Source) link at the bottom
of each food listing.
Note: When checking data please be sure the serving sizes are the same. In the rare case you find any difference, please contact us and
we will fix it right away.
About Nutrient Targets
Setting targets can provide a guide to healthy eating.
Some of the most popular targets include:
Daily Value (%DV) - The %DV is a general guideline for everyone and accounts for absorption factors. It is the most common target in the U.S. and is the target on the nutrition labels of most products. It is set by the U.S. FDA.
Reference Dietary Intake (%RDI) - The Reference Dietary Intake (RDI) is a customized target accounting for age and gender. It is set by the U.S. Institute of Medicine. The RDI for amino acids is set by the U.N. World Health Organization. The daily value (%DV) builds on the reference dietary intake to create a number for everyone.
Adequate Intake (%AI) - Sets a target for Omega 3 and Omega 6 fats. The Adequate Intake is also set by the U.S. Institute of Medicine. It represents a number to ensure adequacy but lacks the same level of evidence as the Reference Dietary Intake. In short, the number is less accurate than the RDI.
1 Watercress
2 Arugula
3 Lettuce
4 Alfalfa Sprouts
5 Napa Cabbage
6 Cucumber
7 Celery
8 Radishes
9 Pak-Choi (Bok Choy)
10 Cabbage
11 Mushrooms
12 Eggplant
13 Swiss Chard
14 Asparagus
15 Spinach
16 Summer Squash
17 Tomato
18 Green (Snap) Beans
19 Pumpkin
20 Broccoli
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