What is the calorie content of lightly salted cucumbers and can you eat them while losing weight?
Normal weight is the key to health and well-being. Problems with excess body weight in 70% of cases are associated with an unbalanced diet and excess calories.
Dietitians advise replacing baked goods and sweets with vegetables and fruits to lose weight. Cucumbers, for example, are famous for their low fat and calorie content. When it is not possible to get fresh vegetables, preparations come to the rescue.
Energy value of lightly salted cucumbers
Lightly salted, freshly salted and pickled cucumbers are low-calorie foods. Unlike fresh non-greenhouse fruits, they are available to consumers all year round.
The energy value of cucumbers and nutrient content varies depending on the recipe.
The table shows the nutritional characteristics of cucumbers prepared according to various recipes.
| Nutritional indicator | Contents per 100 g of lightly salted preparations | Contents in 1 medium lightly salted cucumber (130 g) | Contents per 100 g of salted preparations | Contents in 1 medium pickled cucumber (130 g) | Contents per 100 g of freshly salted preparations | Contents in 1 medium freshly pickled cucumber (130 g) |
| Calorie content | 10 kcal | 13 kcal | 13 kcal | 16.9 kcal | 14 kcal | 18.2 kcal |
| Squirrels | 0.8 g | 1.04 g | 0.8 g | 1.04 g | 0.8 g | 1.04 g |
| Fats | 0 g | 0 g | 0.1 g | 0.13 g | 0.1 g | 0.13 g |
| Carbohydrates | 1.4 g | 1.82 g | 1.7 g | 2.21 g | 2.5 g | 3.25 g |
| Alimentary fiber | 0.7 g | 0,91 | 0.8 g | 1.04 g | 1 g | 1.3 g |
| Water | 96 g | 124.8 g | 92 g | 119.6 g | 92 g | 119.6 g |
According to nutritional indicators, it is best to lose weight by eating lightly salted cucumbers: they have no fat, they contain fewer carbohydrates and have the lowest calorie content.
Dependence of the calorie content of cucumbers on the preparation recipe
During the harvesting process, cucumbers go through several stages of processing:
- Washing. Dirt is washed off the fruit under cold running water.
- Peeling. Optional step, used when cooking preparations from overripe and purchased greenhouse fruits. Peeling removes chemicals that were applied to the cucumbers during cultivation, as toxins accumulate under the skin. However, the amount of dietary fiber and vitamins is reduced, so if the cucumbers are home grown, they are not peeled.
- Soaking in fresh cold water. Used in the production of lightly salted and pickled cucumbers. During soaking, the fruit cells are saturated with water and, under the influence of turgor (internal) pressure, are partially destroyed, and the nutrients are washed out. The longer the soaking process, the more nutrients, vitamins and minerals will be lost. Calorie content is also reduced.
- Cooking. An optional step, used in some pickled cucumber recipes. During the cooking process, nutrients are removed from the fruit, including fats and beneficial microelements. Temperature destroys complex carbohydrates and proteins, they are easier to digest, and the body spends less energy processing food. To reduce your final calorie intake and lose weight, nutritionists recommend eating thermally unprocessed vegetables and fruits.
- Soaking in brine. For lightly salted cucumbers - from 12 hours, freshly salted - from 3 days, pickled - from two weeks.The longer the fetal cells are in contact with the brine, the less vitamins and minerals remain in the cucumbers.
The composition of the brine also affects the calorie content, benefits and harms of the preparations:
- Sugar adds calories and adds inches to your waist.
- Seasonings, onions, garlic and dill do not significantly affect the calorie content, but give the preparations taste and aroma.
- Vinegar breaks down complex proteins and converts vitamins of nitrogenous structure (H, PP, group B) into an inactive form. This preservative also strips away minerals, which together reduces the healthfulness of the product.
- Salt is a component of any brine. On the one hand, it is a safe preservative that helps cleanse the intestines. On the other hand, salt retains water in the body and can cause swelling and weight gain due to an increase in the amount of interstitial fluid.
Attention! Products with vinegar are not recommended for use for gastritis, peptic ulcers and heartburn.
Considering the brine recipe and the aging time of the fruit, lightly salted cucumbers are the optimal product as part of weight loss diets.
The use of lightly salted cucumbers for weight loss
Both fresh and lightly salted cucumbers contain many nutrients (vitamins and minerals). Nutritionists advise strictly monitoring their amount in the diet so that avoiding high-calorie foods does not harm your health.
| Nutrient | Quantitative content per 100 g | % of recommended daily intake |
| Vitamin A | 3 mcg | 0,3 % |
| Beta carotene | 0.02 mg | 0,4 % |
| Vitamin B1 | 0.03 mg | 2 % |
| Vitamin B2 | 0.02 mg | 1,1 % |
| Kholin | 6 mg | 1,2 % |
| Vitamin B5 | 0.25 mg | 5 % |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.04 mg | 2 % |
| Vitamin B9 | 4 mcg | 1 % |
| Vitamin C | 7 mg | 7,8 % |
| Vitamin E | 0.1 mg | 0,7 % |
| Vitamin H | 0.9 mcg | 1,8 % |
| Vitamin K | 16.4 mcg | 13,7 % |
| Vitamin PP | 0.3 mg | 1,5 % |
| Potassium | 196 mg | 7,8 % |
| Calcium | 17 mg | 1,7 % |
| Magnesium | 14 mg | 3,5 % |
| Sodium | 9.4 mg | 0,7 % |
| Phosphorus | 30 mg | 3,8 % |
| Iron | 0.5 mg | 2,8 % |
| Selenium | 0.3 mcg | 0,5 % |
To replenish the body's daily need for nutrients, it is enough to eat up to 5 medium cucumbers per day, provided that other vegetables and fruits are included in the diet.
The weight loss effect of regular consumption of lightly salted cucumbers is achieved due to the following beneficial properties:
- When replacing high-calorie and starch-containing foods (potatoes, cereals, baked goods and pasta) with cucumbers, the total energy value of the diet and daily carbohydrate intake are reduced.
- Increasing the level of salt in the intestinal contents helps cleanse the digestive tract.
- If kidney function is not impaired, lightly salted cucumbers, as a product with a high content of water and mineral salts, enhance blood filtration and the removal of toxins. Then the breakdown of fat begins, which the body stores when it encounters stress factors - chemicals and heavy metals in food, water, air.
- Lactic acid, which appears after the partial breakdown of glucose in cucumbers, reduces blood lipid levels.
Before including lightly salted cucumbers for weight loss in your menu, you should consult a nutritionist. There are more than a dozen reasons for weight gain, and which of them should be dealt with will be determined by diagnostic studies and tests.
Lightly salted cucumbers will help if weight gain is not associated with hormonal problems, but is caused by eating disorders or an unbalanced diet.
Contraindications for eating lightly salted cucumbers
When changing your diet, remember moderation. You should not eat lightly salted cucumbers in large quantities if you have the following health problems:
- Urolithiasis and renal failure. In this case, excess fluid will be retained in the body, which will lead to swelling.
- High blood pressure. Salty foods increase the workload on the heart as a result of water retention in the circulatory system.
- Pancreatitis. Lactic acid increases inflammatory processes in internal organs.
For these diseases, a couple of cucumbers will not cause significant harm, but it is unlikely that you will be able to lose weight with lightly salted preparations.
Pathologies in which lightly salted cucumbers are contraindicated:
- cholelithiasis;
- hepatitis;
- gastritis, stomach and duodenal ulcers;
- colitis;
- acute cystitis.
If you have the above health problems, it is recommended to replace lightly salted cucumbers with fresh ones.
Read also:
How to eat onions for weight loss: recipes for dietary dishes.
Effective melon diets for weight loss: reviews and calorie content.
Conclusion
The calorie content of lightly salted cucumbers is 13 kcal per 1 medium fruit or 10 kcal per 100 g, which allows you to include them in your diet for weight loss. Among the methods for preparing this vegetable, the optimal recipe for short-term pickling without the use of vinegar and sugar.
If cucumbers are grown at home and not bought in a store, the peel is not peeled before pickling so that save useful vitamins and minerals.