Top 100 Lowest-Calorie-Density Whole Foods

USDA FoodData Central →

These 100 entries are USDA Standard Reference Legacy and Foundation Foods ranked by fewest kilocalories per 100 g edible portion. Branded products and processed mixes are excluded. The list reads as a primer on volumetric eating — foods that allow large portions while keeping calorie totals low, which research links to satiety and easier weight management. Drawn from 2,013,644 total entries in the GetFoodFacts database.

How the metric is computed

We sort the foods table ascending by calories (kcal per 100 g), restrict to SR Legacy and Foundation data types, and require both calories and protein to be non-null so that placeholder rows don't pollute the head of the list. The bottom of the energy-density scale is dominated by water-rich vegetables, fruit, and leafy greens; small adjustments in cooking method (steaming vs roasting) shift the figures only modestly.

Volumetric eating is a strategy popularised by clinical nutrition research (Rolls 2009, Drewnowski 2014) showing that satiety is partially driven by the physical mass of food consumed, not just its calorie content. Foods at the top of this list let the meal physically fill the stomach without overshooting calorie targets — a useful sorting heuristic when planning lower-energy meals.

Top 100 results

# Food kcal / 100g Protein (g) Fiber (g)
1 Beverages, Energy drink, VAULT Zero, sugar-free, citrus flavor 1 0.3 -
2 Beverages, tea, green, brewed, regular 1 0.2 -
3 Beverages, WENDY'S, tea, ready-to-drink, unsweetened 1 0.2 -
4 Beverages, coffee, brewed, prepared with tap water 1 0.1 -
5 Beverages, carbonated, low calorie, cola or pepper-type, with aspartame, without caffeine 1 0.1 -
6 Beverages, tea, instant, unsweetened, prepared with water 1 0.1 -
7 Mollusks, clam, mixed species, canned, liquid 2 0.4 -
8 Beverages, coffee, brewed, breakfast blend 2 0.3 -
9 Tea, herbal, brewed, Hohoysi (Hopi) 2 0.1 -
10 Beverages, coffee, instant, decaffeinated, prepared with water 2 0.1 -
11 Beverages, carbonated, low calorie, cola or pepper-type, with aspartame, contains caffeine 2 0.1 -
12 Beverages, SNAPPLE, tea, black and green, ready to drink, peach, diet 2 0.1 -
13 Beverages, SNAPPLE, tea, black and green, ready to drink, lemon, diet 2 0.1 -
14 Beverages, coffee, instant, regular, prepared with water 2 0.1 -
15 Beverages, tea, instant, lemon, diet 2 0.0 -
16 Soup, beef broth or bouillon, powder, prepared with water 3 0.2 -
17 Soup, beef broth, cubed, prepared with water 3 0.2 -
18 Butterbur, canned 3 0.1 -
19 Beverages, coffee, instant, chicory 3 0.1 -
20 Beverages, Energy Drink, sugar free 4 0.4 -
21 Soup, chicken broth or bouillon, dry, prepared with water 4 0.3 -
22 Beverages, Energy drink, ROCKSTAR, sugar free 4 0.3 -
23 Beverages, OCEAN SPRAY, Diet Cran Cherry 4 0.2 0.6
24 Beverages, OCEAN SPRAY, Diet Cranberry Juice 4 0.1 0.6
25 Soup, chicken broth cubes, dry, prepared with water 5 0.4 -
26 Beverages, Energy drink, RED BULL, sugar free, with added caffeine, niacin, pantothenic acid, vitamins B6 and B12 5 0.3 -
27 Soup, vegetable broth, ready to serve 5 0.2 -
28 Soup, SWANSON, beef broth, lower sodium 6 1.2 -
29 Soup, beef broth, less/reduced sodium, ready to serve 6 1.1 -
30 Soup, chicken broth, ready-to-serve 6 0.6 -
31 Beverages, Wine, non-alcoholic 6 0.5 -
32 Soup, SWANSON, vegetable broth 6 0.2 -
33 Beverages, coffee substitute, cereal grain beverage, prepared with water 6 0.1 0.4
34 Soup, chicken broth, less/reduced sodium, ready to serve 7 1.4 -
35 Soup, beef broth or bouillon canned, ready-to-serve 7 1.1 -
36 Butterbur, cooked, boiled, drained, with salt 8 0.2 -
37 Butterbur, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt 8 0.2 -
38 Beverages, PEPSICO QUAKER, Gatorade G2, low calorie 8 0.1 -
39 Beverages, coffee, brewed, espresso, restaurant-prepared 9 0.1 -
40 Beverages, coffee, brewed, espresso, restaurant-prepared, decaffeinated 9 0.1 -
41 Cucumber, peeled, raw 10 0.6 0.7
42 Soup, beef broth bouillon and consomme, canned, condensed 11 2.5 -
43 Watercress, raw 11 2.3 0.5
44 Bamboo shoots, cooked, boiled, drained, with salt 11 1.5 1.0
45 Taro shoots, raw 11 0.9 -
46 Sauce, ready-to-serve, pepper or hot 11 0.5 0.3
47 Waxgourd, (chinese preserving melon), cooked, boiled, drained, with salt 11 0.4 1.0
48 Pickles, cucumber, sour, low sodium 11 0.3 1.2
49 Pickles, cucumber, sour 11 0.3 1.2
50 Pickles, cucumber, dill or kosher dill 12 0.5 1.0
51 Soup, beef broth, bouillon, consomme, prepared with equal volume water 12 2.2 -
52 Cabbage, chinese (pak-choi), cooked, boiled, drained, with salt 12 1.6 1.0
53 Cabbage, chinese (pak-choi), cooked, boiled, drained, without salt 12 1.6 1.0
54 Bamboo shoots, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt 12 1.5 1.0
55 Beans, mung, mature seeds, sprouted, canned, drained solids 12 1.4 0.8
56 New Zealand spinach, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt 12 1.3 1.4
57 New zealand spinach, cooked, boiled, drained, with salt 12 1.3 1.4
58 Sauce, ready-to-serve, pepper, TABASCO 12 1.3 0.6
59 Cabbage, napa, cooked 12 1.1 -
60 Pickles, cucumber, dill or kosher dill 12 0.5 1.0
61 Pickles, cucumber, dill, reduced sodium 12 0.5 1.0
62 Soup, onion, dry, mix, prepared with water 12 0.3 0.3
63 Soup, stock, beef, home-prepared 13 2.0 -
64 Cabbage, chinese (pak-choi), raw 13 1.5 1.0
65 Lettuce, butterhead (includes boston and bibb types), raw 13 1.4 1.1
66 Lettuce, red leaf, raw 13 1.3 0.9
67 Squash, summer, crookneck and straightneck, canned, drained, solid, without salt 13 0.6 1.4
68 Gourd, white-flowered (calabash), cooked, boiled, drained, with salt 13 0.6 1.2
69 Waxgourd, (chinese preserving melon), raw 13 0.4 2.9
70 New Zealand spinach, raw 14 1.5 1.5
71 Cabbage, chinese (pe-tsai), cooked, boiled, drained, with salt 14 1.5 1.7
72 Cabbage, chinese (pe-tsai), cooked, boiled, drained, without salt 14 1.5 1.7
73 Turnip greens, canned, solids and liquids 14 1.4 1.7
74 Squash, summer, zucchini, includes skin, frozen, cooked, boiled, drained, with salt 14 1.1 1.3
75 Radishes, white icicle, raw 14 1.1 1.4
76 Lettuce, iceberg (includes crisphead types), raw 14 0.9 1.2
77 Taro shoots, cooked, without salt 14 0.7 -
78 Taro, shoots, cooked, with salt 14 0.7 -
79 Celery, raw 14 0.7 1.6
80 Gourd, white-flowered (calabash), raw 14 0.6 0.5
81 Waxgourd, (chinese preserving melon), cooked, boiled, drained, without salt 14 0.4 1.0
82 Butterbur, (fuki), raw 14 0.4 -
83 Asparagus, canned, regular pack, solids and liquids 15 1.8 1.0
84 Asparagus, canned, no salt added, solids and liquids 15 1.8 1.0
85 Lettuce, green leaf, raw 15 1.4 1.3
86 Nopales, cooked, without salt 15 1.4 2.0
87 Escarole, cooked, boiled, drained, no salt added 15 1.1 2.8
88 Squash, summer, zucchini, includes skin, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt 15 1.1 1.0
89 Squash, summer, zucchini, includes skin, cooked, boiled, drained, with salt 15 1.1 1.0
90 Cabbage, kimchi 15 1.1 1.6
91 Pumpkin flowers, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt 15 1.1 0.9
92 Pumpkin, flowers, cooked, boiled, drained, with salt 15 1.1 0.9
93 Pumpkin flowers, raw 15 1.0 -
94 Tomatoes, yellow, raw 15 1.0 0.7
95 Beans, snap, green, canned, no salt added, solids and liquids 15 0.8 1.5
96 Beans, snap, yellow, canned, regular pack, solids and liquids 15 0.8 1.5
97 Beans, snap, yellow, canned, no salt added, solids and liquids 15 0.8 1.5
98 Beans, snap, green, canned, regular pack, solids and liquids 15 0.7 1.5
99 Tomatoes, red, ripe, canned, with green chilies 15 0.7 -
100 Cucumber, with peel, raw 15 0.7 0.5

How to use this list

Low-energy density is a sorting heuristic, not a complete nutrition rule. Several entries near the top of the list deliver minimal protein, fat, or micronutrients on their own; a meal built entirely on cucumber and lettuce will leave you energy-deficient and poorly nourished. Use this ranking the way registered dietitians do, pair calorie-dilute foods with protein-rich entries from the protein ranking to land at meals that satisfy without exceeding a calorie target.

Cooking method matters. Steaming, raw, and water-poaching keep these foods near their listed densities; deep-frying, candied prep, and oil-heavy roasting can multiply the calorie figure by five to ten times. Each food links to its full FDA-format nutrition label with macronutrient breakdown so you can decide which preparation suits the rest of your meal plan.

Related references

Source: USDA FoodData Central, Standard Reference Legacy and Foundation databases (fdc.nal.usda.gov). Source: GetFoodFacts ranking rule, ascending kcal per 100 g edible portion. Data reflects our build of the FoodData Central April 2026 release, updated automatically when the source is refreshed. This information is for reference only and does not replace professional dietary advice.