Celery often is rumored to be a negative-calorie food, meaning you expend more calories chewing it than the food provides. While it might seem like you burn a lot of calories eating the crunchy vegetable, chewing only burns five calories per hour, according to Joy Bauer and Carol Svec, authors of "Your Inner Skinny: Four Steps to Thin Forever." Celery, however, is a weight-loss wonder food because it's filled with water and fiber, low in calories and can fill you up quickly.
Step 1
Buy organic celery whenever possible, as non-organic celery has the highest likelihood of containing multiple pesticides of any vegetable, according Michael T. Murray, Joseph Pizzorno and Lara Pizzorno, authors of "The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods." Wash celery thoroughly in warm, soapy water and rinse before using.
Step 2
Keep celery sticks in plastic zip-locked bags in the crisper bin in your refrigerator. Toss a bag into your lunch sack, bring one with you when running errands or snack on them with nonfat cream cheese or nonfat yogurt dip.
Step 3
Bulk up soups, stews and casseroles with celery. You can make a quick, low-calorie celery soup by combining 2 cups chopped celery, 2 cups water, 1 medium peeled and chopped tomato, 1/2 cup skim milk, 1 medium chopped onion and 1 tsp. margarine. Cook ingredients over medium heat and then blend to a smooth puree. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Step 4
Try pureed, pickled or baked celery. Pureed celery root with horseradish makes a robust accompaniment to veal, pork, lamb or beef, says Charlie Trotter, author of "Charlie Trotter's Meat and Game." Pickled celery is a unique alternative to traditional pickles, and celery root baked in a high-fiber almond sauce pairs well with roasted chicken or turkey.
Step 5
Braise celery to bring out its deeper flavors. Julia Child suggests cutting celery hearts in halves lengthwise, then running them under cold water. Place celery cut side up in a baking dish lined with margarine or nonstick cooking spray and salt lightly. Add chicken stock to a third of the way to the top of the dish. Place lightly oiled wax paper over the celery, cover with aluminum foil and cook in a 350-degree F oven for 30 to 40 minutes.
Things You'll Need
- Celery stalks, hearts and root
- 2 cups chopped celery
- 2 cups water
- 1 medium peeled and chopped tomato
- 1 medium chopped onion
- 1/2 cup skim milk
- Salt and pepper
- Chicken stock
- Margarine
- Nonstick cooking spray
- Aluminum foil
- Wax paper
- Nonfat cream cheese
- Nonfat yogurt dip
References
- "Your Inner Skinny: Four Steps to Thin Forever"; Joy Bauer and Carol Svec; 2009
- "The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods"; Michael T. Murray, Joseph Pizzorno and Lara Pizzorno; 2005
- "Charlie Trotter's Meat and Game"; Charlie Trotter; 2001
- "Feast on a Diabetic Diet"; Aroona Reejhsinghani; 2004
- "Julia's Kitchen Wisdom"; Julia Child; 2009
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