Why Understanding Food Volume is KEY On a Fitness Journey!

We know that all foods have calories. However, the volume of food relative to its caloric impact varies greatly from food to food. Calorie density describes the number of calories in a given volume or weight of food.

Example: 100g of olive oil contains 884 calories, whereas 100g of broccoli contains 34 calories.
This would make olive oil a high calorie density food option, and broccoli a low calorie density food option.

A food being more or less calorically dense does not make it "good" or "bad." While all foods have their place in a balanced diet, the strategic use of high and low calorie density foods can help you to more easily achieve your goals while maximally enjoying your meals.

In the context of weight loss, opting for lower calorie density foods can make you feel full, satiated, and unrestricted while losing weight. Consuming more low calorie density foods commonly leads to a reduction in overall calories, helping users achieve a calorie deficit and thereby lose weight. In one study, people who swapped high calorie density fats for low calorie density fruits & vegetables for one year lost an average of 17 lbs. When one swaps high calorie density food options for lower calorie density food options, one can consume a higher volume of overall food for equal or fewer calories.

Another benefit to understanding calorie density is being able to swap for higher calorie density foods if you're trying to gain weight while managing food volume/fullness (for example, if you are bulking or increasing calories after chronic restriction). This increase can cause high levels of fullness & physical discomfort, but by swapping some low calorie density food options for higher calorie density food options, one can increase their overall caloric intake while decreasing their food volume intake.

The chart and graphic below show the relationship between volume, weight, and calories for various foods:

Consider lower calorie density, higher volume swaps when you are:

• Struggling with hunger during a calorie deficit
• Wanting to consume more food at non-dieting maintenance, but wanting to avoid increasing overall calories
• Wanting to feel less restricted when pursuing a calorie deficit
• Experiencing hormonal cravings during PMS
• Having hunger spikes during a reverse diet
• Needing to increase fiber and micronutrient intake
• Wanting to allow for larger portions, which can increase their sense of satisfaction
• Struggling with stress that increases the desire to eat more

Consider higher calorie density, lower volume swaps when you are:

• Struggling with low appetite and/or high fullness
• In a reverse diet or bulk and experiencing fullness
• Unintentionally under-eating due to fullness from meals and snacks
• Trying to start eating breakfast, but AM hunger is low
• On the go and don’t have lots of time to spend eating
• Busy and want the most caloric bang for your buck in an energy dense snack (ex: busy shift workers)
• Struggling with stress or illness that diminishes your appetite
• Ensuring that you're getting enough nutrients in, even when you're not hungry
• Needing to increase your ability to consume more calories within a smaller feeding window (ex: Ramadan)

So how do we apply this information? Stay tuned for part 2 of this e-mail next week where we'll be going over specific food swaps! We'll be breaking down a bunch of common foods from every food group and providing you with swaps. Whether you want something lower calorie or higher calorie, we got you covered.