Whether lying awake in bed at night when hunger pangs strike, or at a social gathering where snack plates are circulating, most of us have experienced food cravings that are just too hard to resist. When the time comes to choose your snack, are you prepared to make the right decision? More specifically, are your prepared to reach for a food that will actually burn more calories than it contains? These types of foods, called negative calorie foods, have so little energy that your body uses more energy to digest and absorb the nutrients than the food actually contains! Switching to negative calorie foods for the majority of your snacking, combined with a solid exercise program, can enable you to literally watch fat melt away! This article is going to give you a jump-start on your nutrition with 10 negative energy snacks that will boost your metabolism and burn loads of calories.

1. Cabbage. I suggest supplementing a daily salad with sliced cabbage strips, or finding a healthy cabbage salad recipe.

2. Celery. Drenched in peanut butter and raisins does not count.

3. Cucumber. Sliced cucumbers make a great addition to any salad or stir-fry.

4. Carrots. Again, sliced on salad, or eaten raw, if you prefer.

5. Tomatoes. Cherry tomatoes are great snacks, or stack them on a healthy sandwich with lettuce (another negative calorie food!).

6. Blackberries/Raspberries/Strawberries. Great for snacking raw, or throwing into a blender or a bowl of oatmeal.

7. Grapefuit. A bowl of fresh grapefruit on the breakfast table is a smart addition.

8. Watermelon/Honeydew/Canteloupe. Again, good for smoothies, nice for breakfast, great for snacking.

9. Peaches. Throw into a ziplock bag for a convenient snack at work or travel. Just remember napkins.

10. Mandarin oranges. Wonderful on salads, or with a meat such as chicken.

So how does it work? Basically, your body's response to the presence of these foods results in the production of digestive enzymes, which act like small engines to break up carbohydrates, protein, and fat. However, because of their specific vitamin and mineral content, the enzyme response to these foods is so great that there are enough engines to not only break down the negative calorie food, but also additional calories that are present in digestion. So a 5 calorie piece of celery may take 30 calories to burn, resulting in a negative 25 calorie intake. Amazing! You can e-mail me with questions at elite@pacificfit.net. Remember to train smart!

Ben Greenfield

Ben Greenfield runs Pacific Elite Fitness, an online portal for personal training, triathlete coaching, and free fitness and multi-sport advice. He resides in Liberty Lake, WA, where he works as director of sports performance for Champion Sports Medicine, a training and testing lab for athletes. Ben graduated from University of Idaho with bachelor?s and master?s degrees in sports science and exercise physiology, and is certified as a personal trainer and coach by the National Strength & Conditioning Association. Ben also offers individualized personal training, multi-sport coaching, training program design for athletes, lifestyle wellness and diet advising, and corporate consulting for workplace fitness programs. To learn more, e-mail Ben at elite@pacificfit.net.