Celery is a fibrous, light-green vegetable. It has a crunchy texture and a fresh, grassy flavor. Celery is often added to meals as an accent. Chopped celery is frequently added to tuna and egg salad and casseroles. It is also often served raw as a snack, covered with dips and spreads. The optimum storage condition for celery is refrigerated in a plastic bag for up to two weeks. Its nutritional content provides several benefits for weight loss.
Fiber
A celery stalk about 12 inches in length provides 1 g fiber, or 4 percent of the 25 g daily value as determined by the Food and Drug Administration, or FDA. The fiber in foods makes you feel full and prevents overeating and excessive snacking that increases calorie consumption beyond your daily energy requirement. Fiber also increases the frequency of the body's waste elimination that prevents constipation and the disruption of normal digestion particularly important during a weight-loss regimen.
Calories
One stalk of celery provides 10 calories of energy, or .5 percent of a standard 2000-calorie diet. Celery is what is considered a low-energy density food. This term is used to describe foods that provide bulk but do not markedly increase the body's requirement for exercise, because the calorie content is so low. Including a high percentage of low-energy density foods in your dietary plan is an effective weight-loss strategy.
Water
A celery stalk contains 95 percent water. Water provides volume in foods that satisfies hunger. Drinking cold water burns calories, because it requires the body to use energy raising its temperature. Water also encourages the release of toxins from the body through the urinary tract. On average, foods contribute 20 percent of your fluid intake in addition to the standard 64 oz. of straight fluids required each day, according to MayoClinic.com.
Fat
One stalk of celery provides .11 g fat, or less than 1 percent of the FDA 65-g daily value. Fat is a component of foods that increases energy density. Often the fewer fat grams a food contains, the fewer total calories it provides, because a fat gram provides nine calories of energy, while carbohydrates and protein provide four calories per gram.
References
- USDA; Nutrient Data Laboratory; Celery, Raw
- MayoClinic.com; What Does Percent Daily Value Mean on Food Labels?; Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.; May 6, 2010
- Bon Appetit: Celery
- AARP; Hunger Management; Ted Spiker; March/April 2005
- MayoClinic.com; Water: How Much Should You Drink Every Day?; April 17, 2010
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