• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Dish by Dish

SIMPLE GLUTEN-FREE RECIPES that actually taste good

  • Bread Recipes
  • Air Fryer Recipes
  • By Diet
    • Gluten-free
    • Dairy-free
    • Vegan
    • Vegetarian
    • Paleo
    • Grain-free
    • Egg-free
  • By Course
    • Bread Recipes
    • 30-Minute Meals
    • Breakfast
    • Brunch
    • Appetizers
    • Side Dishes
    • Lunch/Dinner
    • Snacks
    • Desserts
  • Recipe Index
  • Start Here
    • Blog
    • My Cookbook
    • Work with me
    • Portfolio
    • Resources
      • Top 30 Tips for Food Bloggers
      • Food Photography Tips
      • My Kitchen
      • My Library
      • Printables
      • Cooking Glossary
      • Kitchen Tips
    • Travels
      • Australia
      • Argentina
      • Brazil
      • Italy
      • Singapore
      • Uruguay
      • USA
    • Privacy Policy
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Bread Recipes
  • Air Fryer Recipes
  • Gluten-free
  • Dairy-free
  • Recipe Index
  • Blog
  • Start Here
×

Home » Appetizers

Tip of the Week: Celery, the miracle weight loss vegetable

Published: Jul 6, 2012 by Felicia Lim · This post may contain affiliate links

Ever since Jesley told me last November that you spend more energy digesting celery than the calories you gain from it, I’ve been curious to incorporate celery as an ingredient in my diet. Unfortunately, in the past 8 months I have only eaten celery less than 5 times, and perhaps even unknowingly.

This week, I decided I was going to try to feature healthier, less weight-damaging recipes, and very naturally, celery came to my mind. I know, I know, celery isn’t the most appealing and attractive vegetable, nor does it have the nicest taste. But hey, sometimes health comes at a price right? Let’s be a little more open-minded and see what this green species has to offer.

Celery

Here’s an interesting article:
“Celery: the ultimate weight loss snack food” by Wanda Leibowitz

Celery is, basically, a miracle food for dieters. However, it’s not the most delectable vegetable on the planet, and eating stalk after stalk of raw celery can easily feel more like a chore than a treat. These simple tips can help you find enjoyable ways to incorporate celery into your daily snack rotation.

What’s Special About Celery? 

The calories that you spend chewing and digesting a piece of raw celery are equal to the calories that you gain from eating it. This means that every time you have a piece of celery, you get the sensation of fullness and the satisfaction of eating without any net calorie gain at all. Plus, celery is high in water content, which means it will help keep your skin, hair, and nails looking great.

Why Bother? 

If eating celery means breaking even nutritionally, why bother eating it? Why not just have a glass of water and call it even? Well, scientific evidence show that if you have a low-calorie, celery based snack once a day, you’ll actually lose weight more quickly than if you didn’t snack at all. Nutritional experts agree that eating small portions throughout the day is the key to keeping your metabolism running at top speed. A faster metabolism means that you burn through more calories no matter what you are doing. When you are walking, running, even watching television or sleeping, the speed of your metabolism determines how much energy, and how many pounds, you use up. So, if you can have a celery snack once a day, say between breakfast and lunch, or between lunch and dinner, you’ll be doing your waistline a big favor by kicking your metabolism into high gear.

What Shouldn’t I Put On Celery? 

One of the most popular ways to snack on celery is to make it palatable by smothering it with cream cheese or peanut butter. However, this is far from an ideal solution for anyone who is watching their weight. Covering celery with a fatty, high-calorie spread does more damage than skipping the combo in favor of an overall healthier snack like an apple or a pear. However, if you simply must satisfy a craving for cream cheese or peanut butter, spreading it on a carbohydrate-free, calorie-free celery stalk is definitely better for your waistline than slathering it onto bread.

What Can I Put On Celery? 

There are plenty of non-fatty spreads and garnishes you can add to celery to make it a more appetizing nosh. Instead of cream cheese, try gently spreading fat free cottage cheese into the curve of a stalk of celery for a light, refreshing treat. If you want the kick of energy-producing protein that peanut butter offers, try opting for a fat-free black bean dip instead. With a little bit of creativity, you can come up with dozens of smart and healthy substitutions for fat-heavy nut butters and cheeses.

A Whole Week Of Celery Ideas. 

Here are seven celery snacks to get you through the week. With something different every day, it’ll be easy to stay on track.

For the working week, how about:

Mon: Celery with salsa,
Tues: Celery dipped in fat free Italian salad dressing,
Wed: Celery with a sprinkle of spicy paprika and cayenne pepper,
Thurs: Celery with hummus, and
Fri: Celery chopped up with fresh tomatoes and basil?

Celebrate the arrival of Saturday & Sunday with a gourmet splurge: 

Sat: Spread a clove or two of creamy roasted garlic onto a stalk of celery, and then throw on thin slices of sun-dried tomato.
Sun: classic celery and peanut butter! Congratulations, you’ve just enjoyed a full week of fat busting, metabolism boosting celery snacks.

cornbread in a cast iron skillet
Subscribe

Get delicious GLUTEN-FREE recipes each week!

Recipes you might also like

  • Cream of AsparagusCream of Asparagus
  • Green Apple, Carrot, Celery & Tomato JuiceGreen Apple, Carrot, Celery & Tomato Juice
  • 6 Easy Ways to Use Onions in Your Meals6 Easy Ways to Use Onions in Your Meals
  • Tip of the Week: Rice and the many ways to cook it.
« Tarantela – Argentine Bread Pudding
Homemade Orange Marmalade »

About Felicia

Hey you! I’m Felicia, a Singaporean girl who moved to Buenos Aires for love. A couple of things about me: I love food, writing and food photography. I wrote a grain-free ecookbook that I know you’ll love and I also do freelance writing and photography if you want to work with me. Follow me on this blog as I navigate the world of cooking gluten-free, dairy-free and egg-free.

Did you make a recipe? Tag @felicialimhz on Instagram. I love to see what you cook!

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Hello & welcome!

Hello & welcome!

I’m Felicia: a girl from Singapore who moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina for love. My husband is Celiac so I test and share gluten-free recipes on my blog! I help people with food intolerances and allergies cook and eat delicious, healthy food! Stay a while, and let's be friends! ♥

Read my story here →

Subscribe

to receive free email updates!

Most Popular

    Gluten-free naan in a cast iron skillet on a wooden board

    Best Gluten Free Naan Bread (No-Yeast, No-Yogurt, Dairy-Free)

    Soft, Fluffy Buckwheat Bread (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)

    Easy Honey Oat Bread (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Option)

    Soft, Fluffy Gluten-Free Bread (Dairy-Free)

Air Fryer Recipes

Air Fryer Chicken Quarters (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)

Crispy Air Fryer Tater Tots (Gluten-Free, Vegan)

Crispy Air Fried Potato Wedges (Gluten-Free, Vegan)

Air Fryer Green Beans (Gluten-Free, Vegan)

Bread Recipes

Soft Gluten-Free Corn Tortillas (Dairy-Free, Vegan)

Low Carb Almond Flour Bread (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)

21 Fluffy Gluten-Free Yeast Bread Recipes to Make on Repeat

Low Carb Coconut Flour Bread (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)

Latest on the blog

Soft Gluten-Free Corn Tortillas (Dairy-Free, Vegan)

Salmon Kabobs in the Oven (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)

Easy Oat Flour Waffles (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)

Gluten-Free Chicken Casserole (Dairy-Free)

Buy Me a Coffee promo

Footer

Never miss a recipe

Sign up to get recipes via email

Footer


About

  • New? Start Here
  • Latest on the Blog
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact Me
  • Work with Me

Recipes by Diet

  • Gluten-Free
  • Dairy-Free
  • Vegan
  • Egg-Free
  • Vegetarian

Recipes by Course

  • Bread Recipes
  • Appetizers
  • Main Courses
  • Snacks
  • Desserts


^ back to top

© 2023 Dish by Dish. Privacy Policy. Brunch Pro Theme by Feast Design Co.