This article has been Fact-Checked by Kendall Kennedy MS, RD, RYT
Vegetables tend to be helpful for losing weight. Find out if this applies to celery too, what its nutrition facts are, and weight-loss-friendly ways to eat it.
Celery is very low in calories, contains a nice amount of fiber, and contains a few vitamins and minerals in decent amounts.
By eating more of this vegetable you will likely consume smaller amounts of other foods.
Since these other foods tend to be less helpful for weight loss, celery will typically help you lose weight.
That being said, you do need to make the other dietary changes mentioned to actually see weight loss results.
Additionally, there are many nutrients that are important for weight loss and health. Celery alone is typically not enough to get these nutrients in sufficient amounts.
This means you will need to be smart enough about the rest of your diet too to see long-term results.
Calories in celery
How many calories celery contains is not the only thing that matters. However, it does offer some helpful information for people who want to lose weight.
Raw celery contains around 14 calories per 100 grams (1).
This is a very low amount. Celery is one of the lowest-calorie vegetables there is which means it is also one of the lowest-calorie foods out there.
11.7 of the calories above come from carbohydrates (3.4 g per 100 grams of which 1.6 g fiber).
That means celery is keto-friendly and suited for other low-carb weight loss diets.
You still want to know what sources these calories come from but so far, celery looks relatively good for losing weight.
Vitamins and minerals in celery
The first thing to look at is the amount of micronutrients in celery.
Micronutrients are a group of nutrients your body absolutely needs to survive and thrive. Micronutrients include vitamins and minerals. These are involved in basically every aspect of your health, including weight loss.
100 grams of raw celery provides you with approximately (1):
- Vitamin K: 37% of the DV (Daily Value)
- Vitamin A: 9% of the DV
- Folate: 9% of the DV
- Potassium: 7% of the DV
- Vitamin C: 5% of the DV
- Manganese: 5% of the DV
And a few other vitamins and minerals in less significant amounts. These are not the biggest amounts of vitamins and minerals compared to many other whole foods.
That being said, the vitamins and minerals in celery are still a nice addition. If consuming more vitamins and minerals is your goal celery is not the best choice.
Celery does contain certain kinds of antioxidants, substances that help your body deal with oxidative damage.
Fiber in celery for weight loss
Another very important factor for weight loss is the amount of fiber in your food.
Celery contains around 1.6 grams of fiber per 100 grams (1).
That is a decent amount of fiber per 100 grams compared to other whole foods.
Fiber has multiple benefits for weight loss. First of all, it feeds your microbiome, the microbes that live in your intestines. The health of your microbiome influences your body’s health and weight. Feeding it well is usually not a bad idea.
Fiber also helps you feel less hungry without adding a lot of calories to your diet. Hunger and cravings can be a big pitfall for people trying to lose weight, so avoiding this is a big plus.
With the amount of fiber in celery you can reduce the time you spend craving for food a bit.
Can celery help you lose weight?
Celery only contains a small amount of energy, contains a nice amount of fiber, and offers a few valuable nutrients in nice amounts.
By eating more of this vegetable, you will likely feel fuller and consume smaller amounts of other foods. Since these foods are typically less helpful for weight loss, celery will likely help you lose weight.
At the same time, you still need to make the changes above. If you just add celery on top of your regular diet you will likely not see too many weight loss results.
Additionally, there are nutrients that are important for weight loss and health.
Celery does not really contain these in large amounts so you will need to eat the right types and amounts of other foods too.
If not, your results may not last for long or your health could suffer.
Does celery help you lose belly fat?
Targetting fat loss in a specific area like your belly is generally not possible. Not by eating more of a specific food or by doing a specific exercise. To burn belly fat you have to lose weight overall.
Since celery will likely help you lose weight in general this vegetable can also help you lose belly fat once your body wants to lose fat in your abdominal area.
How to eat celery for weight loss
You can eat celery as a snack on its own but it can also be a part of healthy recipes. Here are some healthy ways to eat celery for weight loss:
If you are looking to lose weight you generally want to avoid liquid calories. Celery juice is not as bad for weight loss as for example prune juice.
The thing is that by juicing you remove the fiber from food, in this example celery. Fiber is one of the best weight loss nutrients so not something you want to miss out on.
