Nutrition selection

Low calorie foods for body definition: list

Written by NutriDecide Editorial Team Last updated: 2026-06-20

A curated food list to compare nutrients, calories and dietary context without focusing on just one item.

Use the tables to compare real options for your goal — values are per 100 g unless stated otherwise on the label.

Type: Food pages Focus: Nutrition Goal: Health & performance
🥦
🍎
🥕
🐟
🥚
🥜

Nutrition selection

Low calorie foods for body definition: list

A curated food list to compare nutrients, calories and dietary context without focusing on just one item.

Protein Fiber Vitamins Minerals Energy Balance

Advertising

Reserved space for contextual ads.

Page summary

🍽️

Total foods

100

items analyzed

Best choice

Common sole, fried

💪

Average protein

11,7 g

per 100g

🌿

Average carbs

1,7 g

per 100g

🔥

Average fat

19,0 g

per 100g

Quick assessment

Our analysis

This list features 100 low-calorie foods that are high in protein, designed to support body definition goals, particularly muscle gain. All foods are selected based on their nutrient density, calorie count, and protein content per 100 grams, making it a practical guide for daily food choices.

Foods like common sole, fried, and the feta-type cheese stand out due to their balance of low calories and high protein, which are essential for muscle building and fat loss. These items are ideal for those aiming to enhance muscle definition without excess calorie intake.

👍 Positive points

  • ✅ List with 100 foods; Common sole, fried ranks among the top picks.
  • ✅ Leader in Calories: Feta-type cheese, 100% from cow's milk, in oil and spices, drained (41 kcal per 100 g).
  • ✅ Top of the ranking: Feta-type cheese, 100% from cow's milk, in oil and spices, drained (Protein 9.75, Calories 41, Carbs 0.5).

⚠️ Points to watch

  • ⚠️ Large list — compare portions and context, not just table rank.
  • ⚠️ Egg, chicken, white, raw, Brazil packs more calories (50 kcal per 100 g) — watch portions.
  • ⚠️ Filters and the muscle gain angle define who enters the list — read the table in that lens.

Full analysis

What this list shows

This list features 100 low-calorie foods that are high in Protein, designed to support body muscle definition goals, particularly muscle gain. All foods are selected based on their nutrient density, calorie count, and Protein content per 100 grams, making it a practical guide for daily food choices.

Foods like common sole, fried, and the feta-type cheese stand out due to their balance of low Calories and high Protein, which are essential for muscle building and Fat loss. These items are ideal for those aiming to enhance muscle muscle definition without excess calorie intake.

Top picks and why they rank well

Among the top foods, Common sole, fried is notable for its high Protein content of 15.8 grams per 100 grams, with only 72.2 Calories. Its nutrient profile makes it excellent for muscle repair while keeping calorie intake low.

Other standout foods include:

  • Baby clam: Contains about 10.7 grams of Protein and only 43 Calories, plus a rich array of minerals like iron and zinc that support overall general health.
  • Crustacean, shrimp, unshelled, Brazil: Offers approximately 10.3 grams of Protein at 45 Calories, with minimal Fat and Carbs.
  • Egg white, cooked or raw: Provides around 10.9 grams of Protein at about 48 Calories, with very low Fat and Carbs, perfect for lean muscle support.
  • Feta-type cheese, 100% from cow's milk: Slightly lower in Calories at 41 per 100g, with notable Protein (~9.75g), making it a good cheese option for low-calorie diets.

These foods stand out because of their nutrient density, high Protein-to-calorie ratio, and low carbohydrate content, aligning well with muscle gain and Fat-loss strategies.

How to choose foods based on your goal

If your goal is weight loss with muscle preservation, prioritize foods with high Protein and low Calories, such as seafood (clams, oysters, squid) and egg whites. These foods provide essential amino acids without excess Fat or carbohydrates.

For muscle gain, focus on foods that combine high Protein with moderate Calories, like fried common sole or boiled fish fillets, which help support recovery and growth without unnecessary caloric surplus.

For general nutrition general health, include a variety of these low-calorie, nutrient-rich foods like mussels and shrimp, which also supply vital minerals and vitamins.

Common mistakes when using this list

First, relying solely on calorie counts without considering macro balance can lead to inadequate nutrient intake. For example, some foods like fried sole are high in Protein but may contain added fats depending on preparation, which isn't reflected here.

Second, overlooking portion sizes is common; values are per 100 grams, so actual servings might be smaller, and caloric intake could be higher if portions are larger.

Third, ignoring other nutrients like fats and micronutrients can disrupt nutrition balance; focus on the overall macro and micronutrient profile relevant to your goals.

Practical next step for the reader

Compare the listed foods by their Protein content and calorie count, then incorporate those that best fit your daily macro targets. For instance, include seafood like clams or fish fillets for high Protein with low Calories, and supplement with egg whites or cheese for additional Protein sources.

Remember, this list is a guide for making smarter food choices in line with your fitness goals. Combining these foods with a balanced diet and proper training will maximize your body muscle definition efforts.

How to interpret this page

🔥 Calories: Calories show energy per 100 g and help you compare portion impact across foods. Use them with protein and carbs to see whether an option fits maintenance, deficit, or surplus goals. A low score does not mean a food is ‘bad’ — it reflects nutrient density for general health, not your specific plan.

💪 Protein: Protein per 100 g shows how concentrated a food is as a protein source. Higher values support muscle recovery, satiety, and meal balance when that is your priority. Compare foods on this page rather than judging a single macro in isolation.

🌾 Carbs: Carbs matter most in context: training days, ketogenic diets, and endurance goals change what ‘good’ looks like. Powders such as maltodextrin score lower on our general-health scale because they are energy-dense with little protein, fiber, or micronutrients — not because they are never useful.

🥑 Fat: Fat carries more than twice the calories per gram than protein or carbs, so small portion changes matter. Moderate fat levels can support hormones and absorption of fat-soluble vitamins. Use this column with calories when balancing satiety and energy density.

Tip: combine the table with your goal — weight loss, muscle gain, low carb, endurance, or general health. The score helps compare options on this page; it does not replace medical or sports-nutrition advice.

Nutrition facts (per 100g)

The data shown is filtered to match this page’s topic.

The NutriDecide score (1–10) ranks foods on this page by protein, nutrient density, fiber, and a general-health lens — not by taste or whether they fit a specific diet. Low scores (e.g. maltodextrin) usually mean fewer nutrients per calorie; high scores (e.g. soy protein isolate) mean stronger protein and micronutrient density. It is a comparison tool: a low score does not forbid a food when it matches your goal.

FoodCaloriesProteinCarbsFatFiberScore
🍽️

Feta-type cheese, 100% from cow's milk, in oil and spices, drained

41,09,80,50,1 5/10
🍽️

Baby clam

43,010,70,00,0 6/10
🍽️

Aspartame sweetener, in tablets

44,011,0 4/10
🍽️

Egg,chicken, white, raw

44,010,50,30,10,0 5/10
🍽️

Crustacean, shrimp, unshelled, fresh, Brazil

45,010,30,00,40,0 5/10
🍽️

Egg,chicken, white, raw

46,010,51,00,0 5/10
🍽️

Egg, duke, white, raw, Brazil

46,09,81,40,20,0 5/10
🍽️

Clams

47,010,70,00,50,0 5/10
🍽️

Baby clam

47,010,70,00,50,0 5/10
🍽️

Cockles

47,010,70,00,50,0 5/10
🍽️

Canned cockles

47,010,70,50,0 5/10
🍽️

Egg white, cooked

47,310,31,187,80,0 5/10
🍽️

Egg white, raw

48,110,90,787,60,0 5/10
🍽️

Egg,chicken, white, raw

49,011,00,70,20,0 5/10
🍽️

Egg, chicken, white, raw, Brazil

50,010,41,40,30,0 5/10
🍽️

Soup, shrimp, with salt (shrimp, with shrimp broth, tomato, parsley, with oil, onion and garlic, with salt)

50,08,51,11,30,3 4/10
🍽️

Brazilian recipe soup (fish and seafood soup), unsalted (fish, marine, blue shark, shrimp, squid, crab, mussel, tomato, yellow and red sweet pepper, with fish broth, with oil, onion and garlic, unsalted)

50,08,11,51,30,4 4/10
🍽️

Brazilian recipe soup (fish and seafood soup), with salt (fish, marine, blue shark, shrimp, squid, crab, mussel, tomato, yellow and red sweet pepper, with fish broth, with oil, onion and garlic, with salt)

50,08,11,51,30,4 4/10
🍽️

Oyster, raw

53,010,20,01,40,0 5/10
🍽️

Soup, shrimp, unsalted (shrimp, with shrimp broth, tomato, parsley, with oil, onion and garlic, unsalted)

53,08,61,21,60,3 4/10
🍽️

European oyster, raw

53,510,21,285,70,0 4/10
🍽️

Fish, saltwater, king, fillet, frozen, fresh, Brazil

55,013,00,00,40,0 5/10
🍽️

Young hake, frozen, raw

55,011,80,00,80,0 5/10
🍽️

Egg, quail, white, raw, Brazil

55,011,71,40,30,0 5/10
🍽️

Fresh cream cheese, petit-suisse type, plain, 0% fat

56,59,94,284,30,1 4/10
🍽️

Brocciu cheese from goat or ewe's whey

56,810,24,00,0 4/10
🍽️

Egg, chicken, white, cooked/10 min., with salt

57,013,40,60,10,0 5/10
🍽️

Egg, chicken, white, cooked/10 min, unsalted, Brazil

57,013,40,60,10,0 5/10
🍽️

Barnacles

59,013,60,00,50,0 5/10
🍽️

barnacle, raw

59,013,60,00,50,0 5/10
🍽️

Barnacle, raw

59,013,60,50,0 4/10
🍽️

Brazilian recipe, with fish, with salt, Brazil [marine fish (blue shark), fish broth, tomato, bell pepper, coriander, lemon juice, with black and red pepper, with oil, onion and garlic, with salt]

59,09,91,71,40,5 4/10
🍽️

Mussel

60,010,80,01,90,0 4/10
🍽️

white pepper

60,010,42,1 4/10
🍽️

White, pepper

60,010,42,126,2 8/10
🍽️

Octopus, common, raw

60,112,91,085,40,0 5/10
🍽️

Young hake, frozen, raw

61,011,81,01,10,0 5/10
🍽️

Soup, chicken breast, with vegetables, unsalted (chicken breast, with carrot, chayote, pumpkin and potato, with chicken broth, with oil, onion and garlic, unsalted)

61,08,82,71,70,8 4/10
🍽️

Soup, chicken breast, with vegetables, with salt (chicken breast, with carrot, chayote, pumpkin and potato, with chicken broth, with oil, onion and garlic, with salt)

61,08,82,71,70,8 4/10
🍽️

Shrimp with vegetables, with salt (shrimp, carrot, pod, cauliflower, tomato, bell pepper, parsley, lemon juice, with oil, onion and garlic, with black pepper, with salt)

61,08,62,31,90,9 4/10
🍽️

Shrimp with vegetables, unsalted (shrimp, carrot, pod, cauliflower, tomato, bell pepper, parsley, lemon juice, with oil, onion and garlic, with black pepper, unsalted)

61,08,62,31,90,9 4/10
🍽️

Soya, sauce

62,08,76,70,11,6 4/10
🍽️

Squid stewed with vegetables, unsalted (squid, vegetables - carrot, pod, cauliflower, brocoli and white mushroom, tomato, bell pepper, parsley, lemon juice, with oil, onion and garlic, with black pepper, unsalted)

63,09,32,02,01,3 4/10
🍽️

Squid stewed with vegetables, with salt (squid, vegetables - carrot, pod, cauliflower, brocoli and white mushroom, tomato, bell pepper, parsley, lemon juice, with oil, onion and garlic, with black pepper, with salt)

63,09,32,02,01,3 4/10
🍽️

Meat, frog, back, raw, Brazil

64,015,70,00,20,0 5/10
🍽️

Hake, raw

64,011,90,01,80,0 5/10
🍽️

Fresh hake

64,011,90,01,80,0 5/10
🍽️

Shrimp with chayote, with salt (shrimp, chayote, tomato, bell pepper, parsley, lemon juice, with black pepper, with oil, onion and garlic, with salt)

64,09,42,31,90,8 4/10
🍽️

Shrimp with chayote, unsalted (shrimp, chayote, tomato, bell pepper, parsley, lemon juice, with oil, onion and garlic, with black pepper, unsalted)

64,09,42,31,90,8 4/10
🍽️

Pacific cod, raw

64,815,30,084,00,0 5/10

Vitamins and minerals

Showing top foods: 12 / 100
🍽️

Food

Feta-type cheese, 100% from cow's milk, in oil and spices, drained

Minerals

Calcium
Iron
Magnesium
Phosphorus
Potassium
Sodium
Zinc

Vitamins

Vitamin A
Vitamin C
Vitamin D
Vitamin E
Vitamin K
Vitamin B1
Vitamin B2
Vitamin B3
Vitamin B5
Vitamin B6
Vitamin B12
🍽️

Food

Baby clam

Minerals

Calcium 128,0
Iron 24,0
Magnesium 51,0
Phosphorus 130,0
Potassium 43,0
Sodium
Zinc 1,3

Vitamins

Vitamin A 250,0
Vitamin C
Vitamin D
Vitamin E 0,4
Vitamin K
Vitamin B1
Vitamin B2
Vitamin B3
Vitamin B5
Vitamin B6
Vitamin B12
🍽️

Food

Aspartame sweetener, in tablets

Minerals

Calcium
Iron
Magnesium
Phosphorus
Potassium
Sodium
Zinc

Vitamins

Vitamin A
Vitamin C
Vitamin D
Vitamin E
Vitamin K
Vitamin B1
Vitamin B2
Vitamin B3
Vitamin B5
Vitamin B6
Vitamin B12
🍽️

Food

Egg,chicken, white, raw

Minerals

Calcium 6,0
Iron 0,1
Magnesium 10,0
Phosphorus 15,0
Potassium 142,0
Sodium 160,0
Zinc 0,0

Vitamins

Vitamin A 0,0
Vitamin C 0,0
Vitamin D 0,0
Vitamin E 0,0
Vitamin K
Vitamin B1
Vitamin B2
Vitamin B3
Vitamin B5
Vitamin B6
Vitamin B12
🍽️

Food

Crustacean, shrimp, unshelled, fresh, Brazil

Minerals

Calcium 43,9
Iron 0,6
Magnesium 23,5
Phosphorus 242,0
Potassium 74,6
Sodium 208,0
Zinc 0,6

Vitamins

Vitamin A 17,2
Vitamin C 0,0
Vitamin D 0,0
Vitamin E 0,6
Vitamin K
Vitamin B1
Vitamin B2
Vitamin B3
Vitamin B5
Vitamin B6
Vitamin B12 0,7
🍽️

Food

Egg,chicken, white, raw

Minerals

Calcium 6,0
Iron 0,0
Magnesium 11,0
Phosphorus 13,0
Potassium 143,0
Sodium 164,0
Zinc 0,0

Vitamins

Vitamin A 0,0
Vitamin C 0,0
Vitamin D 0,0
Vitamin E 0,0
Vitamin K
Vitamin B1
Vitamin B2
Vitamin B3
Vitamin B5
Vitamin B6
Vitamin B12
🍽️

Food

Egg, duke, white, raw, Brazil

Minerals

Calcium 26,5
Iron 1,6
Magnesium 7,0
Phosphorus 91,0
Potassium 91,8
Sodium 60,4
Zinc 0,6

Vitamins

Vitamin A 0,0
Vitamin C 0,0
Vitamin D 0,0
Vitamin E 0,0
Vitamin K
Vitamin B1 0,1
Vitamin B2 0,2
Vitamin B3 0,1
Vitamin B5
Vitamin B6 0,1
Vitamin B12 2,2
🍽️

Food

Clams

Minerals

Calcium 128,0
Iron 24,0
Magnesium 51,0
Phosphorus 130,0
Potassium 314,0
Sodium 56,0
Zinc 1,3

Vitamins

Vitamin A 250,0
Vitamin C
Vitamin D
Vitamin E 0,4
Vitamin K
Vitamin B1
Vitamin B2
Vitamin B3
Vitamin B5
Vitamin B6
Vitamin B12
🍽️

Food

Baby clam

Minerals

Calcium 128,0
Iron 24,0
Magnesium 51,0
Phosphorus 130,0
Potassium 43,0
Sodium 601,0
Zinc 1,3

Vitamins

Vitamin A 250,0
Vitamin C
Vitamin D
Vitamin E 0,4
Vitamin K
Vitamin B1
Vitamin B2
Vitamin B3
Vitamin B5
Vitamin B6
Vitamin B12
🍽️

Food

Cockles

Minerals

Calcium 128,0
Iron 24,0
Magnesium 51,0
Phosphorus 130,0
Potassium 314,0
Sodium 56,0
Zinc 1,3

Vitamins

Vitamin A 250,0
Vitamin C
Vitamin D
Vitamin E 0,4
Vitamin K
Vitamin B1
Vitamin B2
Vitamin B3
Vitamin B5
Vitamin B6
Vitamin B12
🍽️

Food

Canned cockles

Minerals

Calcium 128,0
Iron 24,0
Magnesium 51,0
Phosphorus 204,0
Potassium 43,0
Sodium 3520,0
Zinc 1,3

Vitamins

Vitamin A 250,0
Vitamin C
Vitamin D
Vitamin E 0,4
Vitamin K
Vitamin B1
Vitamin B2
Vitamin B3
Vitamin B5
Vitamin B6
Vitamin B12
🍽️

Food

Egg white, cooked

Minerals

Calcium
Iron
Magnesium
Phosphorus
Potassium
Sodium
Zinc

Vitamins

Vitamin A
Vitamin C
Vitamin D
Vitamin E
Vitamin K
Vitamin B1
Vitamin B2
Vitamin B3
Vitamin B5
Vitamin B6
Vitamin B12

Analysis

💪

Protein

Moderate

🌾

Carbs

Low

🥑

Fat

🔥

Calories

Low

🏆

Summary

Decide better

Frequently asked questions

What is the Low calorie foods for body definition: list for?

It groups 100 filtered foods; Common sole, fried is a standout for the muscle gain angle.

Where to start in the table?

Start with Feta-type cheese, 100% from cow's milk, in oil and spices, drained, Baby clam, Aspartame sweetener, in tablets and compare protein, fiber and calories per 100 g.

How to read the list numbers?

All values are per 100 g. Mentally adjust for the portion you actually eat.

Are values per serving or per 100 g?

On this page, unless noted otherwise, main macros are per 100 g.

Advertising

Reserved space for contextual ads.

Related content