Nutrition selection

Low calorie foods for balanced eating

Written by NutriDecide Editorial Team Last updated: 2026-07-05

A curated food list to compare nutrients, calories and dietary context without focusing on just one item.

Use the tables to compare real options for your goal — values are per 100 g unless stated otherwise on the label.

Type: Food pages Focus: Nutrition Goal: Health & performance
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Nutrition selection

Low calorie foods for balanced eating

A curated food list to compare nutrients, calories and dietary context without focusing on just one item.

Protein Fiber Vitamins Minerals Energy Balance

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Page summary

🍽️

Total foods

100

items analyzed

Best choice

Soy dessert, plain, no added sugars, fortified with calcium, fermented, refrigerated

💪

Average protein

2,7 g

per 100g

🌿

Average carbs

3,9 g

per 100g

🔥

Average fat

17,4 g

per 100g

Quick assessment

Our analysis

This curated list features 100 low-calorie foods suitable for balanced eating, based on a comprehensive dataset. It emphasizes foods with calorie counts up to 160 kcal per 100 grams, highlighting their protein, carbohydrate, and fiber content to help guide practical dietary decisions.

Foods like yogurt, artichokes, green beans, and beetroot stand out for their nutrient profiles. This list is designed to support your choices whether you're aiming for weight management, general health, or nutrient density.

👍 Positive points

  • ✅ List with 100 foods; Soy dessert, plain, no added sugars, fortified with calcium, fermented, refrigerated ranks among the top picks.
  • ✅ Leader in Calories: Yogurt, nonfat, with fruits (40 kcal per 100 g).
  • ✅ Top of the ranking: Yogurt, nonfat, with fruits (Protein 3.96, Calories 40, Carbs 5.65).

⚠️ Points to watch

  • ⚠️ Large list — compare portions and context, not just table rank.
  • ⚠️ Yogurt, nonfat, with fruits packs more calories (40 kcal per 100 g) — watch portions.
  • ⚠️ Filters and the general health angle define who enters the list — read the table in that lens.

Full analysis

What This List Shows

This curated list features 100 low-calorie foods suitable for balanced eating, based on a comprehensive dataset. It emphasizes foods with calorie counts up to 160 kcal per 100 grams, highlighting their Protein, carbohydrate, and Fiber content to help guide practical dietary decisions.

Foods like yogurt, artichokes, green beans, and beetroot stand out for their nutrient profiles. This list is designed to support your choices whether you're aiming for weight management, general nutrition general general health, or nutrient density.

Top Picks and Why They Rank Well

Among the top-ranking foods, Yogurt, nonfat, with fruits shines with only 40 Calories per 100g but provides nearly 4 grams of Protein, which helps with satiety and muscle maintenance. Its low Fat content and reasonable carbohydrate level make it excellent for low-calorie diets.

Another standout is Artichokes, cooked, drained, without oil, with salt, offering only 40 Calories and high Fiber (over 5 grams), benefiting digestion and fullness. Its nutrient density and moderate Protein (around 2.88g) also support general general health goals.

The Green beans, pod, braised (with oil, garlic and onion), with salt ranks similarly with 40 Calories, good Fiber (about 3.4g), and moderate Protein (~2.58g). It’s a versatile vegetable option for low-calorie, nutrient-rich meals.

Foods like beetroot and various leafy greens follow closely, offering low Calories while delivering Fiber, vitamins, and minerals essential for overall general general health.

Foods like frozen artichokes or cooked vegetables also feature prominently, with nutritional values aligning well with low-calorie, nutrient-dense eating patterns.

How to Read This List and Use the Filters

This list is filtered to include foods with Calories between 40 and 160 kcal per 100 grams, ensuring a focus on low-calorie options. All foods listed have at least 1 gram of Protein per 100g, supporting muscle preservation and satiety. The dataset emphasizes foods with reliable macro and micronutrient data, sourced from public tables and product labels.

Values are given per 100 grams, so you should adjust accordingly based on your typical serving size. For example, if you usually eat 150g of a food, multiply the provided values by 1.5 for practical estimation.

Prioritize foods with high Fiber content and nutrient density scores (see the macro quality scores) for maximum general general health benefits within your calorie limits.

Practical Recommendations Based on Your Goals

If your goal is weight loss, lean proteins like yogurt or egg whites, combined with Fiber-rich vegetables such as artichokes and green beans, are ideal. They keep you full longer and provide essential nutrients without excess Calories.

For muscle gain, focus on foods with higher Protein content within this list, like foam foods (e.g., yogurt) and vegetables with moderate Protein levels, complemented by other Protein sources outside this list.

For general nutrition general general health, choose a variety of these foods to diversify your micronutrient intake, paying attention to Fiber and vitamin C rich options like leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables.

Common Mistakes When Using This List

One common mistake is relying solely on calorie counts without considering macro balance—such as ignoring Protein to support muscle or Fiber for digestion. Always compare macro values alongside Calories.

Another error is ignoring portion sizes; all values are per 100g, but actual servings may be smaller or larger. Adjust macros accordingly to avoid overestimating nutrient intake.

Lastly, focusing only on foods with the lowest Calories while neglecting nutrient density may lead to nutrient deficiencies. Use this list as a guide, not an exclusive diet plan.

Next Practical Step for You

Start by selecting a few foods from this list—such as yogurt, artichokes, or green beans—and incorporate them into your daily meals. Use the food comparison data to balance your macro intake according to your personal general general health goals.

Keep in mind that this is educational content based on dataset sources; for personalized advice, consult a registered dietitian or general general healthcare professional.

How to interpret this page

🔥 Calories: Calories show energy per 100 g and help you compare portion impact across foods. Use them with protein and carbs to see whether an option fits maintenance, deficit, or surplus goals. A low score does not mean a food is ‘bad’ — it reflects nutrient density for general health, not your specific plan.

💪 Protein: Protein per 100 g shows how concentrated a food is as a protein source. Higher values support muscle recovery, satiety, and meal balance when that is your priority. Compare foods on this page rather than judging a single macro in isolation.

🌾 Carbs: Carbs matter most in context: training days, ketogenic diets, and endurance goals change what ‘good’ looks like. Powders such as maltodextrin score lower on our general-health scale because they are energy-dense with little protein, fiber, or micronutrients — not because they are never useful.

🥑 Fat: Fat carries more than twice the calories per gram than protein or carbs, so small portion changes matter. Moderate fat levels can support hormones and absorption of fat-soluble vitamins. Use this column with calories when balancing satiety and energy density.

Tip: combine the table with your goal — weight loss, muscle gain, low carb, endurance, or general health. The score helps compare options on this page; it does not replace medical or sports-nutrition advice.

Nutrition facts (per 100g)

The data shown is filtered to match this page’s topic.

The NutriDecide score (1–10) ranks foods on this page by protein, nutrient density, fiber, and a general-health lens — not by taste or whether they fit a specific diet. Low scores (e.g. maltodextrin) usually mean fewer nutrients per calorie; high scores (e.g. soy protein isolate) mean stronger protein and micronutrient density. It is a comparison tool: a low score does not forbid a food when it matches your goal.

FoodCaloriesProteinCarbsFatFiberScore
🍽️

Yogurt, nonfat, with fruits

40,04,05,70,11,2 3/10
🍽️

Artichokes, cooked, drained, without oil, with salt

40,02,96,20,35,7 4/10
🍽️

Green beans, pod, braised (with oil, garlic and onion), with salt

40,02,64,41,43,4 3/10
🍽️

Artichoke, frozen, raw

40,02,37,50,12,0 3/10
🍽️

Salad, beetroot, raw, without oil, unsalted

40,01,97,70,13,4 3/10
🍽️

Roasted vegetables, with salt (eggplant, zucchini, sweet potatoes, broccoli, carrots and green beans (pod), without oil, with salt)

40,01,77,70,23,0 3/10
🍽️

Salad, butterhead lettuce, with sauce for salad - parsley, lemon juice, with olive oil, with salt

40,01,70,63,52,2 3/10
🍽️

Salad, butterhead lettuce, with sauce for salad - parsley, apple vinegar, with olive oil, with salt

40,01,60,53,52,2 3/10
🍽️

Salad, leaves, with sauce for salad, with salt (butterhead and lollo rossa lettuce, arugula, with sauce for salad - parsley, apple vinager, olive oil, with salt)

40,01,60,63,42,1 3/10
🍽️

Green beans, pod, cooked, drained, with soy oil, with salt

40,01,62,62,52,3 3/10
🍽️

Green beans, pod, cooked, drained, with soy oil, unsalted

40,01,62,62,52,3 3/10
🍽️

Salad, spinach, leaf, cooked, with sauce ( tomato, onion, parsley, vinegar and oil), with salt

40,01,62,32,71,6 3/10
🍽️

Salad, chicory greens, with sauce for salad - tomato, onion, parsley, vinegar and olive oil, unsalted

40,01,52,32,82,4 3/10
🍽️

Celery, braised (with oil, onion and garlic), unsalted

40,01,35,81,31,6 3/10
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Salad, chicory (curly endive), with sauce for salad - parsley, lemon juice, with olive oil, with salt

40,01,21,03,52,1 3/10
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Sauce, worcestershire, ready-to-eat, Brazil

40,01,28,90,00,2 2/10
🍽️

Salad, chicory (curly endive), with sauce for salad - parsley, apple vinegar, with olive oil, with salt

40,01,10,93,52,1 3/10
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Vegetables, sauteed, with salt (potato, carrot, chayote, with tomato, bell pepper, parsley, chive, with oil, onion and garlic, with salt)

40,01,16,01,31,7 3/10
🍽️

Beetroot, raw

40,21,66,387,62,8 3/10
🍽️

Mixed diced vegetables, canned, drained

40,42,35,687,03,2 3/10
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Veal stock, prepacked

40,93,12,40,1 3/10
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Feta-type cheese, 100% from cow's milk, in oil and spices, drained

41,09,80,50,1 5/10
🍽️

Mung beans, mature seeds, sprouted, cooked, drained, without oil, unsalted

41,04,25,80,12,0 4/10
🍽️

Mung beans, mature seeds, sprouted, cooked, drained, without oil, with salt

41,04,25,80,12,0 4/10
🍽️

Brazilian leaf, ´Serralha´, braised (with oil, onion and garlic), unsalted

41,03,32,32,14,3 4/10
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Collard green, cooked, drained, with soy oil, unsalted

41,02,61,12,92,8 3/10
🍽️

Collard green, cooked, drained, with soy oil, with salt

41,02,61,12,92,8 3/10
🍽️

Green beans, pod, braised (with oil, garlic and onion), unsalted

41,02,64,41,43,5 3/10
🍽️

Beverage, cappuccino (low fat cow´s milk, coffee - 10% infusion and cocoa without sugar), without sugar, Brazil

41,02,25,81,01,9 3/10
🍽️

Baby food - ground meat beef (knuckle), cornmeal and spinach, with chicken broth, with onion, without oil, with salt

41,01,97,50,41,5 3/10
🍽️

Salad, leaves, with sauce for salad, with salt (butterhead and lollo rossa lettuce, arugula, with sauce for salad - parsley, lemon juice, olives oil, with salt)

41,01,70,83,42,2 3/10
🍽️

Salad, spinach, leaf, cooked, with sauce ( tomato, onion, parsley, vinegar and oil), unsalted

41,01,62,52,71,6 3/10
🍽️

Salad, leaves, with sauce for salad, with salt (iceberg (crispyhead) and lollo rossa lettuce, watercress, with sauce for salad - parsley, lemon juice, olives oil, with salt)

41,01,50,93,51,7 3/10
🍽️

Cabbage, white, cooked, drained, with soy oil and, unsalted

41,01,52,72,71,2 3/10
🍽️

Cabbage, white, cooked, drained, with soy oil and, with salt

41,01,52,72,71,2 3/10
🍽️

Salad, leaves, with sauce for salad, with salt (iceberg (crispyhead) and lollo rossa lettuce, watercress, with sauce for salad - parsley, apple juice, olives oil, with salt)

41,01,50,83,51,7 3/10
🍽️

Juice, orange and beetroot, without sugar

41,01,28,50,22,4 3/10
🍽️

Salad, chard, with tomato, with olive oil, with salt

41,01,22,72,81,4 3/10
🍽️

Salad, radish, with sauce for salad - parsley, apple vinager, olive oil, with salt

41,01,11,43,41,7 3/10
🍽️

Salad, cabbage, white, raw, with sauce ( tomato, onion, parsley, vinegar and oil), unsalted

41,01,13,12,61,6 3/10
🍽️

Salad, cabbage, white, raw, with sauce ( tomato, onion, parsley, vinegar and oil), with salt

41,01,03,22,61,6 3/10
🍽️

Salsify, frozen, raw

41,12,34,785,85,8 4/10
🍽️

Palm heart, canned, drained

41,52,55,590,22,2 3/10
🍽️

Tomato sauce for pizza

41,52,04,786,82,8 3/10
🍽️

Onion, red, sautéed/pan-fried, without added fat

41,51,77,587,92,1 3/10
🍽️

Beetroot, cooked

41,51,47,188,32,5 3/10
🍽️

Baby food jar with vegetables and starchy food, from 4-6 months

41,71,36,589,81,8 3/10
🍽️

Yogurt, lactose free, low fat, natural (imported data)

42,04,95,20,20,0 3/10
🍽️

Soy dessert, plain, no added sugars, fortified with calcium, fermented, refrigerated

42,03,61,191,40,6 3/10
🍽️

Brazilian leaf, ´Serralha´, braised (with oil, onion and garlic), with salt

42,03,32,62,14,3 4/10

Vitamins and minerals

Showing top foods: 12 / 100
🍽️

Food

Yogurt, nonfat, with fruits

Minerals

Calcium 123,0
Iron 0,1
Magnesium 13,0
Phosphorus 96,5
Potassium 152,5
Sodium 48,0
Zinc 0,3

Vitamins

Vitamin A 13,3
Vitamin C 2,5
Vitamin D
Vitamin E 0,0
Vitamin K
Vitamin B1
Vitamin B2
Vitamin B3
Vitamin B5
Vitamin B6
Vitamin B12
🍽️

Food

Artichokes, cooked, drained, without oil, with salt

Minerals

Calcium 21,0
Iron 0,6
Magnesium 41,9
Phosphorus 72,8
Potassium 285,0
Sodium 187,0
Zinc 0,6

Vitamins

Vitamin A 0,0
Vitamin C 7,4
Vitamin D 0,0
Vitamin E 0,2
Vitamin K
Vitamin B1 0,1
Vitamin B2 0,1
Vitamin B3 1,1
Vitamin B5
Vitamin B6 0,1
Vitamin B12 0,0
🍽️

Food

Green beans, pod, braised (with oil, garlic and onion), with salt

Minerals

Calcium 44,3
Iron 0,6
Magnesium 30,0
Phosphorus 41,1
Potassium 293,0
Sodium 127,0
Zinc 0,5

Vitamins

Vitamin A 17,7
Vitamin C 1,7
Vitamin D 0,0
Vitamin E 0,5
Vitamin K
Vitamin B1
Vitamin B2 0,1
Vitamin B3
Vitamin B5
Vitamin B6 0,0
Vitamin B12 0,0
🍽️

Food

Artichoke, frozen, raw

Minerals

Calcium 45,0
Iron 1,5
Magnesium 12,0
Phosphorus 130,0
Potassium 430,0
Sodium 47,0
Zinc 0,1

Vitamins

Vitamin A 8,0
Vitamin C 9,0
Vitamin D 0,0
Vitamin E 0,2
Vitamin K
Vitamin B1
Vitamin B2
Vitamin B3
Vitamin B5
Vitamin B6
Vitamin B12
🍽️

Food

Salad, beetroot, raw, without oil, unsalted

Minerals

Calcium 14,4
Iron 0,3
Magnesium 21,7
Phosphorus 19,4
Potassium 375,0
Sodium 9,7
Zinc 0,5

Vitamins

Vitamin A 0,9
Vitamin C 3,1
Vitamin D 0,0
Vitamin E 0,0
Vitamin K
Vitamin B1 0,0
Vitamin B2 0,0
Vitamin B3 0,0
Vitamin B5
Vitamin B6 0,0
Vitamin B12 0,0
🍽️

Food

Roasted vegetables, with salt (eggplant, zucchini, sweet potatoes, broccoli, carrots and green beans (pod), without oil, with salt)

Minerals

Calcium 31,2
Iron 0,4
Magnesium 19,3
Phosphorus 34,0
Potassium 270,0
Sodium 124,0
Zinc 0,2

Vitamins

Vitamin A 167,0
Vitamin C 13,4
Vitamin D 0,0
Vitamin E 0,8
Vitamin K
Vitamin B1 0,0
Vitamin B2 0,0
Vitamin B3 0,0
Vitamin B5
Vitamin B6 0,0
Vitamin B12 0,0
🍽️

Food

Salad, butterhead lettuce, with sauce for salad - parsley, lemon juice, with olive oil, with salt

Minerals

Calcium 34,4
Iron 0,7
Magnesium 9,3
Phosphorus 26,5
Potassium 349,0
Sodium 57,5
Zinc 0,4

Vitamins

Vitamin A 191,0
Vitamin C 22,8
Vitamin D 0,0
Vitamin E 0,8
Vitamin K
Vitamin B1 0,1
Vitamin B2 0,1
Vitamin B3 0,7
Vitamin B5
Vitamin B6 0,1
Vitamin B12 0,0
🍽️

Food

Salad, butterhead lettuce, with sauce for salad - parsley, apple vinegar, with olive oil, with salt

Minerals

Calcium 32,9
Iron 0,7
Magnesium 9,1
Phosphorus 25,9
Potassium 347,0
Sodium 57,6
Zinc 0,4

Vitamins

Vitamin A 191,0
Vitamin C 21,5
Vitamin D 0,0
Vitamin E 0,8
Vitamin K
Vitamin B1 0,1
Vitamin B2 0,1
Vitamin B3 0,7
Vitamin B5
Vitamin B6 0,1
Vitamin B12 0,0
🍽️

Food

Salad, leaves, with sauce for salad, with salt (butterhead and lollo rossa lettuce, arugula, with sauce for salad - parsley, apple vinager, olive oil, with salt)

Minerals

Calcium 58,6
Iron 1,4
Magnesium 13,6
Phosphorus 35,0
Potassium 319,0
Sodium 58,3
Zinc 0,4

Vitamins

Vitamin A 209,0
Vitamin C 30,1
Vitamin D 0,0
Vitamin E 0,7
Vitamin K
Vitamin B1 0,1
Vitamin B2 0,0
Vitamin B3 0,4
Vitamin B5
Vitamin B6 0,1
Vitamin B12 0,0
🍽️

Food

Green beans, pod, cooked, drained, with soy oil, with salt

Minerals

Calcium 34,8
Iron 0,3
Magnesium 9,5
Phosphorus 22,4
Potassium 92,5
Sodium 127,0
Zinc 0,2

Vitamins

Vitamin A 11,2
Vitamin C 0,7
Vitamin D 0,0
Vitamin E 0,5
Vitamin K
Vitamin B1
Vitamin B2 0,1
Vitamin B3
Vitamin B5
Vitamin B6
Vitamin B12 0,0
🍽️

Food

Green beans, pod, cooked, drained, with soy oil, unsalted

Minerals

Calcium 34,8
Iron 0,3
Magnesium 9,5
Phosphorus 22,5
Potassium 92,8
Sodium
Zinc 0,2

Vitamins

Vitamin A 11,3
Vitamin C 0,7
Vitamin D 0,0
Vitamin E 0,5
Vitamin K
Vitamin B1
Vitamin B2 0,1
Vitamin B3
Vitamin B5
Vitamin B6
Vitamin B12 0,0
🍽️

Food

Salad, spinach, leaf, cooked, with sauce ( tomato, onion, parsley, vinegar and oil), with salt

Minerals

Calcium 53,7
Iron 0,3
Magnesium 25,8
Phosphorus 22,9
Potassium 175,0
Sodium 138,0
Zinc 0,3

Vitamins

Vitamin A 101,0
Vitamin C 3,5
Vitamin D 0,0
Vitamin E 2,0
Vitamin K
Vitamin B1 0,1
Vitamin B2 0,1
Vitamin B3 0,0
Vitamin B5
Vitamin B6 0,1
Vitamin B12 0,0

Analysis

💪

Protein

Low

🌾

Carbs

Low

🥑

Fat

Low

🔥

Calories

Low

🏆

Summary

Decide better

Frequently asked questions

What is the Low calorie foods for balanced eating list for?

It groups 100 filtered foods; Soy dessert, plain, no added sugars, fortified with calcium, fermented, refrigerated is a standout for the general health angle.

Where to start in the table?

Start with Yogurt, nonfat, with fruits, Artichokes, cooked, drained, without oil, with salt, Green beans, pod, braised (with oil, garlic and onion), with salt and compare protein, fiber and calories per 100 g.

How to read the list numbers?

All values are per 100 g. Mentally adjust for the portion you actually eat.

Are values per serving or per 100 g?

On this page, unless noted otherwise, main macros are per 100 g.

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