High-Volume, Low-Calorie Foods for Effective Volume Eating
Volume eating focuses on consuming foods that are high in volume but low in calories, helping you feel full without overeating. This approach can be a key strategy for weight loss and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Here’s what you need to know about high-volume, low-calorie foods, their benefits, and how to incorporate them into your diet.
What Are High-Volume, Low-Calorie Foods?
High-Volume, Low calorie foods or low energy dense foods (LED) are foods with fewer calories per gram and are rich in water and fiber, which help you feel full. These foods, like fruits and vegetables fill your stomach, making you feel satisfied with fewer calories which also allows you to eat bigger portions.
Role of Fiber in Reducing Hunger
Dietary fiber in the small intestine has two main effects: it slows nutrient absorption by trapping nutrients and increases the thickness of the digestive contents, making it harder for enzymes and bile to break down food. Fiber-rich foods help with feeling full in two ways—satiation, which happens while eating and signals you to stop, and satiety, which prevents further hunger after a meal. The chewing of fiber-rich foods takes longer, giving the body time to feel full. Fiber also ferments in the colon, producing beneficial fatty acids and lowering the energy content of food. Additionally, fiber slows stomach emptying, helping you feel fuller for longer.
10 High-Volume fruits
- Strawberries (1 cup) calories: 53
- Watermelon (1 cup) calories: 46
- Cantaloupe/Melon (1 cup) calories: 34
- Oranges calories: 47
- Peaches calories: 39
- Apples calories: 52
- Grapefruit calories: 42
- Raspberries (1 cup) calories: 52
- Blueberries (1 cup) calories: 57
- Pineapple (1 cup) calories: 50
Benefits of Volume Eating
- Helps you feel fuller longer
- Supports weight loss and maintenance
- Reduces cravings and overeating
How Do High-Volume Foods Affect Caloric Intake?
By filling up on high-volume, low-calorie foods, you can naturally reduce your overall calorie intake without feeling deprived.
12 High-Volume vegetables to add to your meals
- Zucchini (1 cup, cooked) Calories: 27, Protein: 2g, Carbs: 6g, Fat: 0.4g
- Lettuce (1 cup, shredded) Calories: 5, Protein: 0.5g, Carbs: 1g, Fat: 0.1g
- Spinach (1 cup, raw) Calories: 7, Protein: 0.9g, Carbs: 1.1g, Fat: 0.1g
- Broccoli (1 cup, cooked) Calories: 55, Protein: 3.7g, Carbs: 11g, Fat: 0.6g
- Cauliflower (1 cup, cooked) Calories: 28, Protein: 2.3g, Carbs: 5.1g, Fat: 0.3g
- Celery (1 cup, chopped) Calories: 14, Protein: 0.7g, Carbs: 3g, Fat: 0.2g
- Carrots (1 cup, sliced) Calories: 52, Protein: 1.2g, Carbs: 12g, Fat: 0.3g
- Bell Peppers (1 cup, sliced), Calories: 24, Protein: 1g, Carbs: 6g, Fat: 0.2g
- Cabbage (1 cup, shredded) Calories: 22, Protein: 1.1g, Carbs: 5.2g, Fat: 0.1g
- Radishes (1 cup, sliced), Calories: 19, Protein: 0.8g, Carbs: 4g, Fat: 0.1g
- Mushrooms (1 cup, sliced, cooked) Calories: 28, Protein: 2g, Carbs: 5g, Fat: 0.3g
- Cucumber (1 cup, sliced) Calories: 16, Protein: 0.7g, Carbs: 3.8g, Fat: 0.1g
Understanding Your Caloric Needs
Calories measure the energy we get from food, and they are crucial for staying healthy. Our bodies need energy to function properly, and all of our cells use energy to do their jobs. When we eat, food is broken down, and the energy from it is either used right away or stored for later, depending on what our bodies need.
Too many or too few calories can harm our health. Eating too much and not moving enough leads to weight gain and obesity. On the other hand, not eating enough can cause problems too. Without enough calories, the body can’t get the energy it needs for basic functions. This can lead to problems like weight gain (because the body holds onto fat), slowed thinking, and poor concentration. In extreme cases, too few calories can lead to starvation, permanent organ damage, or even death from heart failure.
It’s important to note that calories aren’t just about the amount of food you eat—they’re also about the quality. Not all calories are the same. For example, 500 calories from fat won’t have the same effect on your body as 500 calories from fruits and vegetables. If you eat only sugars and refined carbs without enough protein, your blood sugar will spike, leading to more fat storage.
The number of calories a person needs each day depends on factors like age, gender, height, weight, and activity level. On average, women need about 2,000 calories a day to maintain their weight and Men need about 2,500 calories to maintain weight.
Caloric Deficit and High-Volume Eating
To lose weight, you need to create a caloric deficit, meaning you decrease the amount of calories consume in a day and/ or burn more calories than you consume. On average, women need about 1,500 calories a day to lose about a pound per week and men need about 2,000 calories to lose a pound a week. However, weight loss isn’t just about cutting calories; it’s also about eating nutritious foods and making lifestyle changes to keep the weight off. High-volume, low-calorie foods help you achieve this by keeping you full on fewer calories.
Protein rich foods
- Egg Whites (1 cup, raw), Calories: 126, Protein: 26.5g, Carbs: 1.9g, Fat: 0.4g
- Chicken Breast (3 oz, cooked) Calories: 140, Protein: 26g, Carbs: 0g, Fat: 3g
- Tilapia (4 oz, cooked) Calories: 112, Protein: 23g, Carbs: 0g, Fat: 1g
- Cottage Cheese (1/2 cup, low-fat) Calories: 90, Protein: 12g, Carbs: 5g, Fat: 1.5g
- Greek Yogurt (3/4 cup, non-fat), Calories: 90, Protein: 16g, Carbs: 6g, Fat: 0g
- Tuna (1 can, in water, drained) Calories: 90, Protein: 20g, Carbs: 0g, Fat: 1g
- Shrimp (4 oz, cooked) Calories: 112, Protein: 24g, Carbs: 1g, Fat: 2g
- Tofu (4 oz, firm), Calories: 94, Protein: 10g, Carbs: 0g, Fat: 1g
Other high-volume, low-calorie foods to include in your day
- air-Popped Popcorn (1 cup) 31 kcal
- rice cakes ( 1 cake) 35 Kcal
- shirataki noodles (1 cup) 5 to 10 kcal
- oatmeal cooked in water (1 cup) 71 Kcal
- cauliflower rice (1 cup) 25 Kcal
- puffed quinoa (1/4 cup) 35 kcal
- unsweetened almond milk (1 cup) 13 kcal
