So-called zero-calorie foods, like celery and cucumbers, contain fewer calories than the body uses to break them down. And although nutritionists account for the energy it takes to chew and digest them when they calculate how many calories we need, these eats deserve prime spots on our plates. You can eat them in large quantities without busting your gut, and low-calorie doesn't mean low nutrients.

"And, obviously, if eating very low-calorie foods keeps you from eating higher calorie foods, that's a win," says Monica Reinagel, licensed nutritionist and creator of the Nutrition Diva podcast. So fill up your fridge with the following foods that are loaded with vitamins and minerals -- not calories.

Cucumbers

If you're tired of fending off hunger by guzzling glass after glass of water, snack on cucumber slices, instead. "Eating foods that are high in water can help you feel full at least temporarily by taking up a lot of space in your stomach," notes Reinagel. Cucumbers also pack vitamins K and C, potassium, and silica, which helps build and maintain connective tissue, like muscle, tendons, ligaments and bone.

Citrus fruit

Don't wait until cold season to fill up on oranges, tangerines, and grapefruit -- they may help whittle your middle. People with higher vitamin C levels have lower waist-to-hip ratios than those whose bodies contain less of the antioxidant, according to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. What's more, University of Arizona researchers found that those with higher levels of vitamin C oxidized 25% more fat during treadmill sessions than those with lower levels of the vitamin.

Leafy greens

Whatever variety you pick, you can't go wrong with piling a plate with salad greens. At 4 calories per cup, watercress is loaded with vitamins A, C and K, and a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that eating 3 ounces of the peppery green daily increases levels of the cancer-fighting antioxidants lutein and beta-carotene. Spinach (7 calories per cup) is brimming with vitamin K, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc and selenium and contains a hormone that allows muscle tissue to repair itself faster, according to research from Rutgers University.

Asparagus

A half-cup of cooked asparagus will set you back only 20 calories. Plus, you'll get hefty doses of vitamins K and A, and B vitamins such as folic acid. Since B vitamins play a role in breaking down sugars and starches, eating asparagus may help regulate blood sugar and fend off type 2 diabetes.

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