Key Takeaways
- Pickles are a low-calorie snack that might help with weight loss if included in a balanced diet.
- Eating pickles helps with hydration and feeling full due to their high water content.
- Some pickles have probiotics that benefit gut health, but the salt content is high.
Pickles can be a good low-calorie and low-fat snack as part of a balanced diet that can help you lose weight. However, they aren’t a superfood that will trigger weight loss.
1. Appetite Control
Pickles have a strong and tangy flavor that can stimulate your taste buds. They may satisfy you sufficiently, controlling cravings for other snacks that are potentially higher in calories.
2. Increased Hydration
Pickles have a high water content, and snacking on them can help keep you hydrated, which is essential for overall health and may help you feel fuller, reducing hunger and intake of more calories.
3. Low in Calories
A medium-sized sour pickle (around 65 grams) contains around 5 to 10 calories, so you don’t have to worry about them significantly increasing your daily calorie intake.
4. Low-Sugar Snack
Sour pickles are very low in sugar compared to other processed snacks. Controlling your sugar intake is impactful in weight management and overall health. While cucumbers are low in sugar, sweet pickles may have added sugar. Check the nutrition facts label.
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What’s in a Pickle?
Pickles are vegetables (most often cucumbers) that have been pickled, a process that preserves food and extends its shelf life. Many methods of pickling exist, and some of the most common include fermentation and brining with salt or vinegar.
What’s in a pickle? This example is for one medium-sized sour pickle (65 grams)—a whole pickle, rather than a pickle spear.
| Nutrition Facts, Sour Pickle, 65 grams | |
|---|---|
| Calories | 7 |
| Total fat | 0.1 g |
| Cholesterol | 0.1 mg |
| Sodium | 786 mg |
| Total carbohydrate | 1.4 g |
| Dietary fiber | 0.7 g |
| Total sugars | 0.6 g |
| Protein | 0.2 g |
The breakdown:
- Carbohydrate count is negligible.
- Low-calorie food at only 5 to 10 calories.
- Sodium at 786 milligrams would put you over one-third of the recommended daily sodium limit, which is high for such a low-calorie food. Choose a low-sodium variety of pickles and be mindful of other sodium intake if you plan to eat pickles frequently as a snack.
- Total fat is negligible.
- Dietary fiber is minimal.
Which Varieties Are Best?
Pay attention to the nutrition labels on the pickles you choose. Many companies make sweet pickles or add various spices and flavors, which can lead to added sugars and salt.
Look for:
- Low-sodium varieties to help control your salt intake.
- Pickles fermented using brine, which contain probiotics, and are beneficial for gut health.
Other Health Benefits of Pickles
Apart from its low-calorie count, pickles offer a few other health benefits, such as:
- They are a good source of antioxidants, such as beta-carotene, which the body converts into vitamin A, a vitamin needed for vision, immunity, and disease prevention.
- They also contain vitamin K, which is necessary for blood clotting and bone health.
- They contain beneficial probiotics, which are the good bacteria that help with digestion, urinary health, and allergies and colds.
Factors That Impact Weight Loss
Though the belief that consuming a single food will miraculously lead to weight loss is tempting, it will not.
Many foods will benefit you in your weight loss endeavor through actions like decreasing inflammation, regulating blood sugar, and building muscle. However, no food will trigger weight loss because weight loss occurs when the body burns more calories than it consumes (creating a calorie deficit).
Many factors influence how and how fast this process occurs from person to person, such as the below.
Diet and Macronutrient Balance
Not all calories are created equal, so losing weight in a healthy way is not quite as simple as just counting the calories you take in.
Eating in a calorie deficit but only consuming potato chips and candy may ultimately lead to your weight decreasing, but it can lead to a number of other health factors, and sustaining this type of weight loss may prove difficult. Focus on reducing sugar and processed foods, sufficient fiber intake, and getting an appropriate ratio of macronutrients.
Physical Activity Level
Creating a calorie deficit is more likely when you burn more calories with physical activity. Any form of exercise is better than none, and the types that burn the most calories include cardiovascular activities like high-intensity interval training (HIIT), swimming, running, and biking.
Metabolism
Some people burn more calories at rest compared to others. More calories burned at rest is more likely to create a calorie deficit. Many factors influence metabolism, including age, genetics, medications, diet, stress, and physical activity levels.
Sleep Quality and Stress Level
Sleep and stress can impact hormones that influence your metabolism and ability to lose weight. Getting high-quality sleep and reducing stress both play a large part in supporting a healthy metabolism.