You can actually lose weight by eating more food and still consume fewer calories while still getting plenty of key nutrients. Sounds impossible but it is doable. The answer are low energy density foods. These foods, such as fruits, vegetables and high fiber grains, have greater volume so they tend to fill you up more. However, they contain fewer calories per ounce than sugary or fatty foods such as snacks or colas.

A second benefit of eating the low energy density foods is that you consume more fiber, and have higher than normal intake of important micronutrients including vitamins A, C and B6, folate, iron, calcium, and potassium.

Unfortunately our bodies are not like gas tanks. They don’t tell us to stop now, you’ve eaten 400 calories. Eating is often less determined by biology than my psychology.  For instance, the size of the portions you eat and with whom you eat often determine how much you eat.  Research shows, for example, that if you are served larger portions, you will likely finish them. Presentation also impacts how much you eat.  Just visit any buffet and you will see much larger portions put on a plate than if you were served by a waiter.

Here are tips for reducing your diet’s energy density:

  • Eat a large salad before the rest of your meal to fill up on greens but you must limit the fatty salad dressing.
  • Change the proportions on your plate, giving more space to vegetables and whole grains and less to meat.
  • Substitute low fat dairy foods, lean meat and fish for cheese and fatty cuts of meat.
  • Drink water and tea or coffee without sugar rather than colas and other sugary drinks.
  • Look for foods high in water or fiber content, but low in sugar and fat.
  • Check out those energy bars for sucrose and fats before you start snacking on them.

Hope these tips help.  Do you have any you might give us? Send them thru the comments and we’ll share them with the rest of the readers.

To your success at healthy aging.
Ruthan Brodsky

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Filed under: Nutrition and Weight

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