15 Lowest Calorie Foods That Are Actually Filling
Dieting doesn't mean starving. These foods have almost no calories but still keep you satisfied.
Data-backed ranking of the strongest food sources
Daily value context so the numbers mean something
Usage tips and tradeoffs, not just a list of names
Created By
EatAndAchieve Editorial System
AI-assisted editorial system
This content is assembled from USDA FoodData Central data, in-house ranking logic, and reusable editorial templates to make nutrition information easier to understand.
Reviewed By
Jordan Vale
Founder, editor, and product builder
Jordan reviews pages for clarity, methodology, and product accuracy before they go live. He also maintains the code, data pipeline, and editorial standards for the site.
How This Page Is Made
Pages on EatAndAchieve combine USDA source data, site-specific scoring logic, and AI-assisted drafting, then receive human review for clarity and methodology. They are educational tools, not medical advice. Read more on the About page.
This ranking focuses on foods that meaningfully deliver calories per 100g, using USDA FoodData Central as the source of truth. It is a concentration ranking, not a full health score, so the most useful way to read it is to look for foods that fit both your nutrient target and your normal portion sizes.
Why it matters
When it comes to weight management, caloric density matters enormously. Foods with fewer calories per 100g let you eat more volume while consuming less energy. High-water, high-fiber foods like vegetables and fruits are naturally low in calories while providing vitamins, minerals, and satiety.
Daily target
The average adult needs about 2,000 calories per day, but this varies widely based on activity level, age, sex, and metabolism. For weight loss, a deficit of 500 calories per day results in roughly 1 pound of fat loss per week.
How to use the list
Volume eating is a legitimate strategy — filling your plate with low-calorie, high-volume foods (leafy greens, cucumbers, berries) lets you eat large, satisfying portions. Adding these to every meal naturally reduces calorie density without counting every gram.
Screening rule
Foods had to clear basic practicality filters before ranking so the list stays useful, not just technically correct.
Best use case
Use this template when you want the single strongest sources of one nutrient and you are willing to compare foods mainly on that axis.
Main caveat
Per-100g leaders are not always everyday staples, which is why calorie density and tradeoffs are called out inside the list.
Soup, SWANSON, beef broth, lower sodium sits at the top because 6.0kcal of calories per 100g is hard for anything else to match. 0% of the daily limit per 100g keeps it competitive when the goal is minimizing this nutrient rather than maximizing it. It is also fairly light at 6 kcal per 100g, which makes the ranking easier to use in normal portions.
Soup, beef broth, less/reduced sodium, ready to serve belongs in the top tier of this ranking, with 6.0kcal of calories per 100g. Because it only takes up 0% of the daily limit per 100g, it is easier to fit into a tighter nutrition target. It is also fairly light at 6 kcal per 100g, which makes the ranking easier to use in normal portions.
Soup, chicken broth, ready-to-serve belongs in the top tier of this ranking, with 6.0kcal of calories per 100g. 0% of the daily limit per 100g keeps it competitive when the goal is minimizing this nutrient rather than maximizing it. At 6 kcal per 100g, this is one of the easier entries to use without overthinking portions.
Cucumber, peeled, raw ranks this highly because it is one of the cleaner ways to get a lot of calories quickly. Because it only takes up 1% of the daily limit per 100g, it is easier to fit into a tighter nutrition target. At 10 kcal per 100g, this is one of the easier entries to use without overthinking portions.
Taro shoots, raw holds its spot because 11kcal of calories is still comfortably strong. At this level it uses 1% of the daily limit per 100g, which is exactly why it rises in a lower-is-better ranking. It is also fairly light at 11 kcal per 100g, which makes the ranking easier to use in normal portions. It also chips in with some vitamin C (23% DV).
Bamboo shoots, cooked, boiled, drained, with salt makes the cut on substance, not hype: 11kcal per 100g is enough to matter in an actual diet. 1% of the daily limit per 100g keeps it competitive when the goal is minimizing this nutrient rather than maximizing it. At 11 kcal per 100g, this is one of the easier entries to use without overthinking portions.
Pickles, cucumber, sour is not the flashiest name on the page, but the nutrient density is real at 11kcal per 100g. At this level it uses 1% of the daily limit per 100g, which is exactly why it rises in a lower-is-better ranking. It is also fairly light at 11 kcal per 100g, which makes the ranking easier to use in normal portions.
Worth knowing
High in sodium at 1210mg per 100g, so it may not be the best fit for a low-sodium diet.
Watercress, raw is not the flashiest name on the page, but the nutrient density is real at 11kcal per 100g. Because it only takes up 1% of the daily limit per 100g, it is easier to fit into a tighter nutrition target. It is also fairly light at 11 kcal per 100g, which makes the ranking easier to use in normal portions. It also chips in with some vitamin C (48% DV).
Waxgourd, (chinese preserving melon), cooked, boiled, drained, with salt is not the flashiest name on the page, but the nutrient density is real at 11kcal per 100g. Because it only takes up 1% of the daily limit per 100g, it is easier to fit into a tighter nutrition target. At 11 kcal per 100g, this is one of the easier entries to use without overthinking portions.
New Zealand spinach, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt rounds out the ranking with 12kcal per 100g, which is still enough to be useful if it already fits your meals. 1% of the daily limit per 100g keeps it competitive when the goal is minimizing this nutrient rather than maximizing it. At 12 kcal per 100g, this is one of the easier entries to use without overthinking portions.
Cabbage, chinese (pak-choi), cooked, boiled, drained, with salt is here because even the back half of this list still offers respectable calories density. At this level it uses 1% of the daily limit per 100g, which is exactly why it rises in a lower-is-better ranking. It is also fairly light at 12 kcal per 100g, which makes the ranking easier to use in normal portions. It also chips in with some vitamin C (29% DV).
Cabbage, napa, cooked lands lower on the page, but 12kcal per 100g is still better than what you get from most foods. At this level it uses 1% of the daily limit per 100g, which is exactly why it rises in a lower-is-better ranking. It is also fairly light at 12 kcal per 100g, which makes the ranking easier to use in normal portions.
Beans, mung, mature seeds, sprouted, canned, drained solids is here because even the back half of this list still offers respectable calories density. At this level it uses 1% of the daily limit per 100g, which is exactly why it rises in a lower-is-better ranking. At 12 kcal per 100g, this is one of the easier entries to use without overthinking portions.
Lettuce, butterhead (includes boston and bibb types), raw rounds out the ranking with 13kcal per 100g, which is still enough to be useful if it already fits your meals. Because it only takes up 1% of the daily limit per 100g, it is easier to fit into a tighter nutrition target. It is also fairly light at 13 kcal per 100g, which makes the ranking easier to use in normal portions.
Lettuce, red leaf, raw rounds out the ranking with 13kcal per 100g, which is still enough to be useful if it already fits your meals. At this level it uses 1% of the daily limit per 100g, which is exactly why it rises in a lower-is-better ranking. It is also fairly light at 13 kcal per 100g, which makes the ranking easier to use in normal portions.