Celery, apples, and beets, are some of the foods touted as having negative calories — foods that require more energy to digest than they contain. But SciShow investigated the legitimacy of this weight loss phenomenon and discovered it may not be the calorie-burning diet plan it’s made out to be.

Evolution has designed humans to seek calorie-laden food to provide as much fuel as possible. Every time we take a bite into a sandwich or steak, some of those calories power your body, while others are simply lost as body heat. According to the Mayo Clinic, diet-induced thermogenesis burns between 5 and 10 percent of the total number of calories your body burns on a daily basis.

But your body burns food sources differently. Fat burns up to 3 percent of fat calories, 5 to 10 percent of calories in carbohydrates, and up to 30 percent of the calories in protein. For example, a large stalk of celery is 10 calories but the body doesn’t have to exert much effort to digest the fiber-rich vegetable. For these reasons, the American Council on Exercise provides a list of low-calorie, nutrient dense foods that will help keep you full. They'll also fit seamlessly into a diet and exercise plan designed to help you lose weight .

Diet-Friendly, Low-Calorie Foods:

  • Blueberries: 50 berries contain 40 calories
  • Artichokes: Medium-sized artichoke contains 60 calories
  • Grapefruit: Medium-sized grapefruit contains 40 calories
  • Spinach: 2 cups of uncooked spinach contain 14 calories
  • Orange: Medium-sized orange contains 60 calories
  • Watermelon: 1 cup contains less than 50 calories
  • Bok Choy: 1/2 cup contains 10 calories