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- How I Used Calorie Density to Lose Weight – I’ll Never Diet Again!
How I Used Calorie Density to Lose Weight – I’ll Never Diet Again!
Before the pandemic started in March 2020, I was doing CrossFit four to five days a week and doing extreme forms of intermittent fasting to lose the last five pounds my body was holding on to since my son was born eight years earlier. Spoiler alert: the restriction only made me overeat, which made losing weight impossible. During the pandemic, I was happily stress baking, but realised it only made me gain five more. But I was able to lose 11 pounds in two months without restricting when I ate and without tracking my calories, but instead by eating a huge volume of food and never feeling hungry. I used the principles of calorie density that I learned by reading Eat to Live and The Starch Solution.
By eating foods that are low in calorie density (have fewer calories per pound), you can fill your plate up without measuring your food, eat until you’re full, and lose weight without even trying. I know it sounds like a gimmick, but it’s really true! I’ve had such a long history of trying to lose weight since I was in high school, mostly by restricting when I ate. Now I eat whenever I want, which is at least four times a day, and I feel energized and happy! And the best part is that I can eat a large volume of these low-calorie dense foods, which makes me not even realise I’m eating in the slight calorie deficit I need to lose weight. And because these foods contain more water and fibre, they fill up my stomach so I feel satisfied for way longer than I did eating small servings of higher-calorie dense foods.
So which foods are low in calorie density? Veggies, fruits, legumes, and starches – all the good stuff! These whole, plant-based, high-carb, low-fat foods are what I ate mostly, which I love anyway since I’m vegan. Animal products, sugar, flour, processed foods, and high-fat foods are high in calorie density, and those are the foods I limited.
Here’s a basic breakdown shared by Craig McDougall, MD (son of John McDougall, MD, the author of The Starch Solution) in order from lowest to highest so you can get an overview of calorie density:
Food | Calories per pound |
---|---|
Non-starchy veggies (carrots, broccoli, greens, tomatoes) | 100 |
Fruits (bananas, apples, grapes, oranges) | 300 |
Starches (potatoes, winter squash, corn) | 400 |
Whole grains (oats, rice, millet, quinoa) | 500 |
Legumes (lentils, black beans, chickpeas, split peas) | 600 |
Higher-fat foods (avocado, chicken, and eggs) | 700 |
Beef, tortilla, ice cream | 1,000 |
Bread and dried fruit | 1,200 |
Cheese and sugar | 1,700 |
Cookies, chips, and chocolate | 2,000 – 2,300 |
Nuts and seeds | 2,800 |
Butter | 3,200 |
Oils | 4,000 |
Since most of us don’t necessarily measure our food in pounds, here’s a list to compare the amounts of what approximately 200 calories would be for common foods. If if you’re a visual person, I’ve taken photos of most of these foods so you can see calorie density come to life! These photos show what 200 calories looks like on your plate.
What 200 Calories Looks Like:
Veggies | Amount |
---|---|
Baby carrots | 500 grams or about 81 baby carrots |
Broccoli | 6 2/3 cups or about two medium crowns |
Cauliflower rice | 6 cups |
Cherry tomatoes | 7.4 cups or just over four pints |
Mixed greens or baby spinach | 28 cups |
Fruits | Amount |
Apples | 2 medium apples |
Bananas | 2 medium bananas |
Grapes | 4 cups |
Raisins | 1/3 cup |
Strawberries | 4 1/4 cups |
Starches | Amount |
Butternut squash | 3 1/4 cups |
Corn | 1 1/4 cups |
Pasta | 1/2 cup uncooked or 1 1/2 cups cooked |
Rolled oats | 2/3 cup uncooked or 1 1/2 cups cooked |
Short grain brown rice | 2/3 cup uncooked or 1 cup cooked |
Sweet potato | 1 7/8 medium or 1 3/4 cups |
Legumes | Amount |
Black beans (canned) | 1 1/4 cup |
Garbanzo beans (canned) | 4/5 cup |
Hummus | 6.7 tablespoons |
Tofu (super extra firm) | 1/3 of a block |
Processed food, animal products, sweets | Amount |
Bagel | 3/4 bagel |
Chocolate chips | 2 1/4 tablespoons |
Chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream | 1/5 pint |
Eggs | 3 large |
Fruit and nut granola | 2/5 cup |
Flour tortilla | 1 1/3 tortillas |
Ground beef (85% lean) | 3.3 ounces |
Oreos | 3 cookies |
Pretzels | 52 grams or 40 pretzels |
Shredded mozzarella cheese | 2/3 cup |
Sliced wheat bread | 2 slices |
Tortilla chips | 15 chips |
Fats | Amount |
Almonds | 30 nuts |
Avocado | 3/4 of a medium avocado |
Butter | 2 tablespoons |
Olive oil | 1 2/3 tablespoon |
Peanut butter | 2 tablespoons |
Ranch salad dressing | 3 tablespoons |
Let’s be clear: There are no “bad” foods and I’m not saying to never eat healthy, more calorie-dense foods like avocado, peanut butter, almonds, bread, and dried fruit, or not-as-healthy pizza, brownies, or ice cream. I’m just saying that these foods high in calorie density are easier to overeat, which is what I did, and that’s why I was gaining weight.
And take a page from my weight-loss story: don’t just eat the foods that are lowest in calorie density and think you’ll lose weight faster. Only eating raw salads, baby carrots, and apples won’t fill you up, and it’ll kick your hunger into overdrive, leading to overeating. You need to balance the veggies and fruits with the starches and beans to feel satiated.
An easy way to use this information without weighing your food or counting calories is to use the 50/50 plate: half of your plate will be non-starchy veggies like steamed broccoli or kale, zucchini noodles, roasted cauliflower, or salad, and the other half will be a starch like brown rice, quinoa, oatmeal, oil-free air-fried potatoes, or baked sweet potato. You can also add a small portion of beans to your plate, which aids in satiety. If you’re hungry after that first plate, make yourself another 50/50 plate and eat until you are satisfied, but not stuffed. As far as fruits go, enjoy two to three a day. I like to eat them after lunch and dinner as a “bookend” to let my brain know I’m done eating for that meal.
If you keep reading, you can see photos of what plates of what 200 calories looks like, as well as example meals I ate to lose weight. These meals were so delicious and physically satisfying. Since I haven’t been eating much sugar or processed food, these whole foods tastes amazing! And I love that I have a healthy relationship with food now and that I’m modelling healthy habits for my daughter by eating such a nutrient-dense diet. I’m feeling more confident, more energetic, I’m sleeping better, have better mental clarity (thank you carbs!), and feel more vibrant. All this because of calorie density!
Broccoli
6 2/3 cups of broccoli florets or about two medium crowns
Cherry Tomatoes
7.4 cups or just over four pints of cherry tomatoes
Mixed Greens
2 huge 11-ounce containers (28 cups!) of mixed greens
Rolled Oats
2/3 cup of uncooked or 1 1/2 cups of cooked rolled oats (cooked in water)
Short Grain Brown Rice
2/3 cup of uncooked or 1 cup of cooked short grain brown rice
Sweet Potatoes
1 7/8 medium or 1 3/4 cups of sweet potato (this is a Japanese sweet potato)
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream
1/5 of a pint of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream
Carrots Vs. Pretzels
Which do you think would fill you up more for a snack? This is 81 baby carrots for 200 calories versus only 40 pretzels. You’d probably be more likely to eat half those carrots anyway, which would be half the calories.
Grapes Vs. Almonds
You could eat four cups of grapes or 30 almonds for 200 calories. Which would fill you up more? Most people couldn’t eat that many grapes, but that’s just a small handful of almonds – it’s easy to go back for another handful which would be closer to 300 or 400 calories. See how easy it is to overeat on high-calorie dense foods?
Oatmeal Vs. Granola
You can spoon into 1 1/2 cups of cooked oatmeal or just 2/5 of a cup of fruit and nut granola, and that doesn’t even include the cup of milk you’ll add to it. That’s such a small amount! I’d much rather fill up on the oatmeal flavored with some fruit.
Sweet Potatoes vs. Bagel
For 200 calories, you can have almost two medium sweet potatoes or only 3/4 of a bagel. I don’t even think I could eat both those potatoes, but it’s easy to eat a whole bagel, and that doesn’t include the cream cheese, butter, or egg and cheese you might order to go inside it. See how eating foods low in calorie density allows you to eat more volume for fewer calories?
Strawberries Vs. Chocolate Chips
This is 4 1/4 cups of strawberries versus 2 1/4 tablespoons of chocolate chips for 200 calories. I want to say I in no way think these two are on the same level of yumminess! But if you wanted something sweet, one cup of strawberries would do the trick for just 50 calories. If you’re trying to lose weight and you always grab a handful of chocolate chips after a meal, you can see how the calories can start to add up.
Breakfast: Banana Blueberry Oatmeal With Broccoli
This oatmeal is cooked with half a mashed banana, pumpkin pie spice, and frozen blueberries. I paired it with some steamed broccoli. Easy and delicious!
Breakfast: Carrot Cake Oatmeal With Broccoli, Cauliflower, and Tomatoes
Let me share some examples of 50/50 plates so you can see what I filed up on to lose weight. Here’s one of my favorite breakfasts: Carrot cake oatmeal cooked with almond extract, cinnamon, and frozen raspberries. I paired it with steamed cauliflower and broccoli, topped with fresh cherry tomatoes and a sprinkle of guacamole seasoning. I know it seems weird to eat veggies for breakfast, but I’ve been doing it since the summer and now I crave my morning broccoli!
Lunch: Salad With Sautéed Chikpeas and Rice and Beans
I paired a huge bowl of salad with chickpeas sautéed with garlic powder and cumin, and rice cooked with shredded carrots and kidney beans. Instead of an oil-based dressing, I drizzled it with my favorite flavored vinegar, Cranberry Pear White Balsamic.
Lunch: Roasted Sweet Potato With Broccoli and Carrots
This is my go-to and absolute favorite lunch (and sometimes breakfast!). I batch prep a bunch of Japanese sweet potatoes (the one with the darker maroon skin and white flesh) so I have them for three or four days. I love to pair it with steamed broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots with a sprinkling of Everything but the Bagel Seasoning. It’s so yummy! To make this even more satiating, I’d add some chickpeas or black beans on top.
Dinner: Sweet Potato Lentil Chili With Cauliflower, Carrots, and Tomatoes
This sweet potato red lentil chili was made with diced tomatoes, cauliflower rice, corn, black beans, and red pepper, and seasoned with onion, garlic, chili powder, and cumin. It tasted amazing paired with cherry tomatoes, steamed cauliflower, and steamed carrots.
Dinner: Shepherd's Pie With Tomatoes and Red Pepper
The filling for this shepherd’s pie is brown lentils, mushrooms, onion, corn, peas, carrots, tomato, and red pepper. I mashed Yukon gold potatoes without butter and added veggie broth for flavor. I paired it with raw red pepper and cherry tomatoes. Note that this was just my first plate! I went back for another plate that looked just like this.