Calorie density and how to lose weight by eating more food

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Calorie density is the number of calories in a given volume or weight of food. Understanding calorie density will help you lose weight, improve your diet. In particular, focusing on foods with low calorie density allows you to eat more foods while still cutting calories, providing many health benefits (increased nutrient intake and weight loss). .

1. What is calorie density?

Calorie density is a measure of a food's calorie content relative to its weight or volume. It is also known as energy density, the unit is calories/100g of food.
Choosing foods with a low calorie density can have a weight loss effect. It helps you automatically eat fewer calories while still eating more food and filling your stomach, which means eating more without fat. A vegetable with 30 calories/100g is considered low calorie density. And chocolate with 500 calories / 100g is a very high calorie density food.
Choosing foods based on calorie density will help control weight more effectively. For example, you can build a diet with foods that are low in calories - foods that are healthy and rich in nutrients. That also means eliminating processed, high-calorie foods from the diet. From there, it brings many benefits to health and body weight control.

2. Effect of calorie density on weight

Eating too many calories is the main cause of weight gain. Some studies have shown that people on a low-calorie diet eat fewer total calories for the day. That is associated with lower body weight, body mass index (BMI) and smaller waist circumference. And people whose diets include foods with a high calorie density are at an increased risk of weight gain and obesity.
In addition, calorie density also affects hunger. Foods with a low calorie density typically provide less fat, more water, and fiber. This helps you feel full and reduces your daily calorie intake. In contrast, deliciously processed, high-calorie-dense foods often cause you to overeat.
Research shows that unprocessed food causes the brain to signal to stop eating. Meanwhile, when you eat processed foods, the brain delays giving the signal to stop eating. When offered a high-calorie-dense meal, a person will eat about 425 more calories than a low-calorie meal.
A low-calorie diet can help you lose weight. A low-calorie diet involves focusing on whole foods (unprocessed and refined), limiting processed foods, and naturally increasing protein, vegetables, and fruits. These foods have been shown to help with weight loss by reducing the total number of calories consumed per meal.
Low calorie density diet also reduces the feeling of hunger because the stomach has received the necessary amount of food. In addition, it also helps meals last longer, forcing you to chew more, increasing the feeling of fullness.

3. Low-calorie diet improves health

With a low calorie density diet, you are forced to change your eating habits in a more positive direction. All of these changes have many long-term health benefits, including:
Less processed foods: Reducing your intake of processed, unhealthy foods; More healthy foods: You should eat more foods that are low in calories and rich in nutrients; More lean protein: Helps with weight loss and many other benefits; More nutrients: A low calorie density diet encourages you to eat more fruits and vegetables rich in nutrients and antioxidants; Reduce calories: Reducing calories and losing weight improves health for people who are overweight; A balanced and sustainable diet: This way of eating helps you focus on healthy, low-calorie foods without having to completely eliminate other foods or snacks.

4. What foods have a low calorie density?

Most natural foods are very low in calorie density. They are:
Vegetables: Green vegetables have the lowest calorie density of all foods because their composition is mainly water, fiber and a small amount of carbs; Meat and fish: Lean proteins like chicken and white fish are low in calories. Fatty meats and fish will be medium to high in calorie density; Fruit: Has a low calorie density because of the very high fiber and water content in fruit. Juicy berries and berries generally have the lowest calorie density; Milk and yogurt: Low-fat milks and unsweetened yogurts are also low in calories and provide a good source of protein; Eggs: Whole eggs are a high-protein, medium-calorie superfood, especially when eaten with vegetables; Starches: Certain natural starches like potatoes, legumes and other root vegetables are low or medium in calorie density, especially when they are cooked, with more water; Sugar-free beverages: These include low-calorie water, coffee, and tea, which can help keep you full for longer. However, you also don't need to completely eliminate fat from your diet. You just need to pay attention to consuming high-fat foods in moderation. Even foods high in healthy fats like nuts, avocados and olive oil can cause weight gain if you eat too much.

5. Foods with high calorie density should be limited

If you want to try to control your weight by relying on calorie density, you should limit your consumption of foods with high calorie density such as:
Candy and chips: These are 2 foods that contain a lot of sugar and fat, making them high in calories. People also tend to eat too much candy and chips; Pastries: High in calories and easy for people to overeat; Fast food: This is the most calorie-rich food group today. An average snack contains twice the calories of a typical healthy meal; Oils: Even healthy oils like coconut oil and olive oil are still very high in calories. Therefore, you should consume oils in moderation; Full-fat dairy: Dairy products like butter, cream, and cheese are very calorie-dense. Therefore, you should consume them in moderation; Fatty meat: Some fatty meats such as bacon, lamb, hot dogs, etc. have a very high calorie density; Nuts: This is a very high calorie food group. Although they have many health benefits, people often tend to eat too much, which increases the amount of calories that the body consumes; High-fat condiments: Some sauces and condiments are very high in calories; Sugary drinks: Some smoothies and milkshakes are high in calories. Of the many diets, an eating plan based on foods with a low calorie density is one of the most affordable and effective. Low calorie density diets allow us to eat all kinds of foods, just focus more on consuming healthy, unprocessed foods. From there, you will feel less hungry, more full. By getting 90% of your calories from foods with low calorie density, you can lose weight without much effort.

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Reference source: .healthline.com