If the rumblings of your stomach keep reminding you of intense hunger, your diet is probably in need of a makeover. But rather than adding lots of calories to your plan, a nutritional trick called volumetrics may be just what you need to keep you feeling full but with fewer calories.
The process is actually quite simple.
The body gets used to eating a certain volume of food day to day. Studies have shown that food volume is actually what keeps us feeling satisfied when we eat. When you’re trying to lose weight, people often decrease their calories but without paying attention to their food volume. The result is that they may lose weight but then may also feel deprived and hungry – so much so, that this becomes a quick set-up for diet failure and weight regain.
Instead, here are some easy ways to eat more volumetric type meals so you can lose weight, feel good and stay satisfied all at the same time:
1. Slurp that soup. Dining out at a fancy restaurant can easily turn into an overeating orgy – but it doesn’t have to! Try starting your meal with a cup of broth-based or vegetable soup or even some gazpacho. This strategy really does work to add volume to your meal without lots of calories. Soup is usually consumed at a slow pace which will keep you in better touch with your hunger and fullness cues. Also, canned soup (look for low-sodium types) at home can offer your family a quick, convenient and healthy accompaniment to a lunch or dinner meal.
2. Enter the entrée salad. Salad bars are not the only place to enjoy a great-tasting entrée salad. Commit to serving your family one entrée salad each week for a dinner meal. Load up on fresh veggies, a tasty lettuce and be creative using other favorite toppings like Greek olives, hearts of palm, fresh fruit or chopped walnuts. Vary the protein topping week to week using barbecued chicken, grilled salmon or shrimp or even use canned tuna or salmon if you’re short on time. The next time you pass by that salad bar, take note of new items that you can easily add to your homemade salads to add variety and excitement to your dinner fare.
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3. Choose “wet” snacks. Have you ever picked a snack based on its wetness? Well... maybe you should. Dry snack foods like chips, cookies and pretzels are more energy dense than wet snack foods – and it’s quite easy to keep eating them without feeling full. In contrast, water-based snack foods like low-fat yogurt, fresh berries, a peach or cherry tomatoes offer you a more volumetric and nutritious way to enjoy your snacks. Typically these are not foods you overeat.
4. Bowl it over. Dishes made with lots of water (think oatmeal, cooked grains, bean dishes or chilis) are typically served in bowls. The high water content of these foods make them lower in energy density - which means they have less calories per given weight. When you compare these foods to higher-energy dense foods like doughnuts, butter, chips and cookies, you’ll see why a meal served in a bowl may tend to be healthier than a plated meal. There are exceptions… like gigantic bowl of cheese-choked fettuccini alfredo! |
