If you’re looking for a new dietary plan which results in you consuming a full plate of food without negatively impacting your health or weight loss goals, volume eating could be an option.
What is volume eating?
Volume eating is all about loading your plate with high volume, low calorie foods. This means you’re eating a sufficient amount of food whilst keeping calorie intakes as low as possible. Maximising the volume of your meals with highly nutritious foods such as fruit, salad and vegetables, will help keep you fuller for longer whilst providing plenty of nutrients and energy.
High Volume vs. Low Volume Foods
When planning this sort of dietary plan, ensuring you’re eating the correct food is crucial. The calorie density of a food is based on its macronutrients, which means food that is high in fat or sugar are considered “low-volume foods”. On the flip side, foods that are high in fibre or water content are referred to as “high-volume foods”, as they provide little to no calories. High volume foods include : green vegetables such as broccoli, spinach or lettuce, tomatoes, fruits such as strawberries, watermelon and grapes, plus carbohydrates such as fat free yoghurt, egg, chicken breast and oats.
Benefits of volume eating
With so many options out there regarding food plans and dieting, knowing what you want to gain from them is key. Let’s take a look at some of the main benefits when it comes to volume eating.
Lasting fullness
By focusing on nutrient-dense, high-volume foods, you’ll be able to stay full and satisfied for a decent amount of time. As most high-volume foods, such as fruits or vegetables are rich in fibre and water, they help your stomach to stay fuller and avoid any unnecessary snacks.
Regulates calorie intake
Counting calories can sometimes be considered a controversial topic. Whilst some people love to keep track of what they’re eating, others tend to avoid this so no unhealthy habits are formed. If your main goal is weight loss, volume eating could be for you. By focusing on filling your bowl with recommended greens and fresh fruits, you can eat in a high volume with little effect on the number of calories you are consuming.
High food consumption
If you’re a real food lover and tend to have eyes bigger than your belly, volume eating is a great way to consume larger portions whilst also increasing your intake of fibre, vitamins, and minerals.
Promotes weight loss
Through swapping low-volume options for high-volume, you’ll simply be eating a more filling diet for fewer calories. This ultimately promotes fat loss as your calorie intake will significantly decrease.
Drawbacks of volume eating
Like most things in life, there are a few drawbacks in which you should consider before opting for daily volume eating. Firstly, this dietary plan can be time consuming. As it requires planning and meal prepping, make sure you create a reliable and personalised schedule to go with it. Secondly, volume eating can occasionally lead to stomach issues, especially as you’ll be consuming a lot of fibre.