Top 17 High Volume Low Calorie Foods for Sustainable Weight Loss
Are you tired of feeling unsatisfied after a meal? Do you yearn for the day when you could eat in excess without being concerned about your calorie intake? Well, look no further!
High volume low calorie foods are here to save the day. You may indulge to your heart’s delight while limiting your calorie intake thanks to these remarkable culinary selections.
High volume low calorie foods are those that provide a lot of food by weight or volume, but contain relatively few calories.
Incorporating high volume low calorie foods into your diet is important for healthy and sustainable weight loss. These foods help promote satiety and curb cravings while minimizing calorie intake.
What is Volume Eating?
Volume eating is all about focusing on foods that provide a high volume or weight of food relative to their calorie content.
Foods that are high in volume but low in calories allow you to eat a larger quantity of food for fewer calories. This helps keep you feeling full while staying within your daily calorie goals. The benefits of volume eating include:
- Feeling full and satisfied on fewer calories
- Controlling portions and hunger
- Promoting weight loss
- Providing nutrients from whole foods
Some examples of high volume, low calorie foods are fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains, and foods high in water and fiber.
Benefits of High Volume Low Calorie Foods
Eating more high volume, low calorie foods provides many benefits when you’re trying to lose weight:
- Keeps you feeling full: Foods that are high in volume and low in calories allow you to eat a greater weight and volume of of food, which keeps you feeling full while reducing calorie intake.
- Lowers calorie density: Calorie density is the ratio of calories to food grams. Low calorie foods like fruits and veggies are naturally low in calories per bite.
- High in nutrients: Many high volume foods like fruits, veggies, and lean proteins are nutrient-dense, providing vitamins, minerals, and other beneficial compounds.
- Promotes weight loss: Eating more high volume, low calorie foods can help reduce overall calorie intake, which promotes fat loss over time.
- Aids appetite control: The fiber and water in high volume foods helps control appetite by slowing digestion and stabilizing blood sugar.
Promote Weight Loss and Maintenance
To lose weight, you need to achieve a calorie deficit by reducing your daily calorie intake below your maintenance level. High volume low calorie foods allow you to eat satisfying portions that fill you up while keeping calories in check.
High volume foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, and legumes contain a lot of water and fiber. This helps create bulk, so you feel full on fewer calories.
Improve Satiety and Curb Cravings
High volume low calorie foods provide satiety or fullness. The high amounts of water and fiber help slow digestion, allowing you to feel satisfied for longer between meals.
This satisfaction and fullness mean you’ll be less likely to overeat or give in to cravings throughout the day. High volume foods help control hunger and prevent overeating.
Examples of High Volume Low Calorie Foods
Fruits and Vegetables
- Low calorie fruits: Watermelon, strawberries, cantaloupe, grapefruit, honeydew melon, and oranges.
- Low calorie vegetables: Lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, cucumbers, mushrooms, zucchini, and broccoli.
Whole Grains and Legumes
Whole grains like oats and brown rice are high in fiber, which adds bulk and aids in satiety. Beans and lentils are also packed with fiber.
Some low calorie options include: oatmeal, quinoa, brown rice, kidney beans, and black beans, lentils.
Lean sources of protein
Protein helps control hunger hormones and keeps you feeling fuller longer. It also preserves muscle during weight loss.
Low calorie protein options: Chicken breast, tuna, tilapia, turkey, egg whites, low-fat Greek yogurt.
Top 17 High Volume Low Calorie Foods
Here are some of the top high volume, low calorie foods to enjoy as part of a healthy weight loss diet:
- Fruits like watermelon, strawberries, grapefruit, and apples these are high in water and fiber. Watermelon has a high water content and only 46 calories per cup.
- Vegetables like spinach, lettuce, cucumbers, broccoli, tomatoes, mushrooms, and zucchini. Non-starchy veggies provide bulk along with vitamins and minerals.
- Lean proteins like chicken breast, turkey, fish, shellfish, eggs, Greek yogurt, and low-fat cottage cheese these foods are high in protein, which helps keep you full. A 3-ounce serving of chicken breast has only 110 calories.
- Popcorn is a high volume, whole grain snack that’s low in calories. Air-popped popcorn is one of the best high-volume snacks, with only 31 calories per cup.
- Oatmeal is hearty and filling. A half cup of dry oats cooked in water is only 150 calories. Oats are high in soluble fiber, which promotes satiety.
- Soups like vegetable soup and broth-based soups are low calorie and high volume. Have a bowl before meals to help fill you up.
- Potatoes are starchy but have a high volume and low calorie density when prepared without added fat. The 161 calories in a medium baked potato are low.
- Beans and lentils are protein-rich and high in fiber. They absorb water during cooking, which adds volume. Cooked lentils come with 230 calories per cup.
- Whole wheat pasta is filled with more volume and fiber than traditional pasta. A cup of whole wheat pasta has 174 calories.
- Granola is crunchy with whole oats, nuts, and dried fruit. Stick to a 1⁄4 cup portion size to keep calories in check.
- Quinoa cooks up light and fluffy and provides protein. 1 cooked cup has 222 calories.
- Berries like strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries are low calorie with just 60–70 calories per cup.
- Carrots and celery are crunchy, low calorie veggies. Celery has just 6–8 calories per stalk.
- Cauliflower can be riced or mashed as a low calorie substitute for starchy veggies like potatoes. 1 cup riced raw cauliflower has just 27 calories.
Potential challenges and how to overcome them
Taste preferences
Tips for making these foods more enjoyable
High volume, low calorie foods like fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins can sometimes seem bland compared to more indulgent options.
- To make them tastier, try out different cooking techniques such as roasting, grilling, or sautéing, which can intensify the flavor. Cooking vegetables by roasting them enhances their inherent sweet taste.
- Dress up greens and grains with vinaigrettes, sautéed aromatics like garlic and onion, or a squeeze of citrus.
- Use spices and herbs generously. Basil, oregano, cumin, cinnamon, chili powder, and garlic powder are all great options.
- Add a sprinkle of parmesan cheese or roasted nuts to boost flavor.
- If eating plain chicken or fish, use flavorful sauces like chimichurri, teriyaki, or homemade salsa.
Experimenting with spices and seasonings
To make healthy foods tastier, be adventurous when using different seasonings and spice mixes when cooking. Start with small amounts and tweak recipes until you find flavors you love.
Blend and layer spices for maximum flavor impact. Some tasty combos include chili powder, cumin, and lime; basil, oregano, and garlic; or cilantro, coriander, and ginger.
Avoiding boredom
Mixing up recipes and ingredients
To avoid boredom with high volume, low calorie ingredients, regularly rotate the vegetables, fruits, whole grains, proteins, and seasonings you use. Try new recipes and preparations instead of repeating the same ones. Experiment with different cultural cuisines for inspiration.
Trying new foods and flavors
Venture outside your comfort zone to try produce, grains, and proteins that are new to you. Hit up farmers markets and international grocery stores. Some examples: jicama, radicchio, figs, farro, quinoa, lentils, and tempeh. Discovering new flavors can make healthy eating more fun.
Conclusion
A recap of the benefits of high volume low calorie foods
Eating plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein provides nutrition, fiber, and volume that support sustainable weight loss. With the aid of these meals, you may feel satisfied on less calories and lose weight without feeling deprived.
Encouragement to incorporate them into a balanced diet
Aim for half your plate to be fruits and veggies, and make whole grains like brown rice or quinoa the base of your meals. Include lean protein like chicken, fish, beans, or tofu at every meal too. Making these high volume foods the foundation of your diet can lead to successful, long-term weight management.
Final thoughts on maintaining a healthy lifestyle
Eating large amounts of food that is low in calories can help people lose weight effectively. Additionally, it supports overall health and happiness.
Making fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins the main part of your diet gives you a plan for lifelong wellbeing when paired with regular exercise and other healthy habits.
