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Energy density and weight loss: Feel full on fewer calories
Choosing foods that are less concentrated with calories — meaning you get a larger portion size with a fewer number of calories — can help you lose weight and control your hunger.
By Mayo Clinic staffFeel full on fewer calories. It sounds like a diet gimmick. But in reality, the concept of energy density can indeed help you feel satisfied with fewer calories. By consuming fewer calories, you can lose weight over time and keep it off long term.
Energy density: Volume versus calories
All foods have a certain number of calories within a given amount (volume). Some foods, such as desserts, candies and processed foods, are high in energy density. This means that a small volume of that food has a large number of calories.
Alternatively, some foods — such as vegetables and fruits — have low energy density. These foods provide a larger portion size with a fewer number of calories.
Two factors play an important role in what makes food less calorie packed and more filling:
- Water. Many fruits and vegetables are high in water, which provides volume but not calories. Grapefruit, for example, is about 90 percent water and has just 38 calories in a half-fruit serving. Carrots are about 88 percent water and have only 52 calories in 1 cup.
- Fiber. High-fiber foods — such as vegetables, fruits and whole grains — not only provide volume, but also take longer to digest, making you feel full longer.
(1 of 2)
- USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 20. U.S. Department of Agriculture. http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/. Accessed Nov. 12, 2008.
- Pennington J, et al. Practice paper of the American dietetic association: Nutrient density: Meeting nutrient goals within calorie needs. Journal of the American Dietetic Association. 2007;107:860.
- Savage JS, et al. Dietary energy density predicts women's weight change over 6 y. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2008;88:677.
- Dietary Guidelines for Americans. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; U.S. Department of Agriculture. http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2005/document/. Accessed Nov. 17, 2008.
- Nutritionist Pro Diet Analysis (computer program). Stafford, Texas: Axxya Systems; 2008. http://www.nutritionistpro.com/index.php. Accessed Dec. 19, 2008.
