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Health and Weight for Life: The Answer Is Eating More, Not Less

Natalie
Stein
October 30, 2024
Health and Weight for Life: The Answer Is Eating More, Not Less
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In this article:

  • Eating smaller portions can be effective for weight loss because it reduces calorie intake, but this strategy has drawbacks.
  • Eating less food can make you feel hungry and deprived. Another drawback is the lack of emphasis on nutritious food choices. Long-term, this can lead to weight gain and poorer nutrition.
  • You can reduce hunger and increase nutrient intake by selecting low calorie-dense, high nutrient-dense foods. They can be more filling because serving sizes are bigger, and they have nutrients like fiber and protein that keep you full longer. They also tend to be higher in vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients.
  • The majority of a high-volume diet should comprise of vegetables, fruit, lean protein, and controlled portions of whole grains. Healthy fats are also good choices.
  • You can shift a calorie-dense menu to a high-volume menu using our examples as a guide.
  • Lark can support your goals and help you stay motivated as you make progress towards your health and weight loss goals with or without GLP-1s as you log food, get tips for eating healthier, and make small changes that can turn into healthy habits.

Is your healthy plan keeping you full and satisfied? Or do you feel hungry and deprived? Eating a higher-volume diet can help if you want to manage weight and keep your nutrient intake up.

Here are some benefits of a higher-volume diet for health and weight loss, as well as what to eat and how to get started. It may put long-term weight management within reach.

Reasons to Eat More

You may think intuitively that you can lose weight by eating less. Mathematically, it’s true. For example, switching from a double hamburger, large fries, and 2 cookies, to a single burger with small fries and 1 cookie, saves over 400 calories. That adds up to nearly ½ lb per week - an ideal rate of weight loss without making any other changes.

It sounds good, but there are some problems that come with cutting those calories.

  • The amount of food you consumed decreased by about one-third
  • Intake of protein, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients decreased
  • No additional nutrients were added
  • Over time, you’re likely to feel deprived because you’re eating less than before. You may also have a lower nutrient intake.

    A volumetric approach can help address these concerns for a long-term solution. It helps you choose lower-calorie foods with bigger serving sizes. It also leads to the selection of more nutritious foods.

    Foods to Choose

    For this weight loss and health strategy, choose mostly low-calorie, high-nutrient foods. Cleveland Clinic explains how to calculate calorie density for a food by dividing calories per serving by serving size in grams. Foods fit into the following four groups based on calorie density.

    Group 1: Lowest Calorie Density

    These foods have a high water content and not many calories or under 0.6 calories per gram. The majority of what you eat should come from this group.

    Here are foods in this group.

    • Non-starchy vegetables including leafy greens, cucumbers, onions, cauliflower, carrots, beets, and tomatoes
    • Fruit like bananas, apples, oranges, strawberries, and pineapple
    • Non-fat milk and non-fat plain yogurt
    • Unsweetened non-dairy milk substitutes like unsweetened almond milk and soy milk
    • Broth-based soups like vegetable, chicken noodle, and minestrone

    Try eating foods in this group first at meals and snacks. If you’re hungry for second helpings, serve yourself more of these foods before foods in other groups.

    Group 2: Low Calorie Density and High in Nutrients

    These foods are slightly higher in calorie density with 0.7 to 1.5 calories per gram. Include them regularly in your diet, but keep portion control in mind. Look for nutritious options, like fish or beans instead of red meat, and whole grains like brown rice instead of refined grains like white rice.

    Here are foods in this group.

    • White fish, skinless chicken and turkey, lean ground turkey, and lean meat
    • Legumes like beans, lentils, and split peas
    • Starchy vegetables like butternut squash, sweet potatoes, corn, potatoes, and peas
    • Whole grains like whole-wheat pasta, brown rice, barley, and quinoa

    A meal might include a serving of protein, like 3-4 ounces of fish or ½ cup of beans, plus a nutritious starch like ½ cup of corn or whole-wheat pasta.

    Group 3: Higher Calorie Density But Nutritious

    These foods have 1.6 to 3.9 calories per gram. Look for nutrient-dense options when you can, like fatty fish instead of chicken with skin or cheese instead of ice cream. Options like nuts and seeds, peanut butter, and olive oil are nutritious, but also high in calories. Portion control is especially important.

    Here are foods in this group.

    • Fatty fish like salmon, tuna, and sardines, red meat, poultry with skin
    • Nuts, seeds, olive oil, avocado
    • Full-fat dairy products like cheese, whole milk, and ice cream
    • Refined carbohydrates like white bread, crackers, and rice

    Group 4: High Calorie Density, Low Nutrient

    These foods are high in calories, with 4 to 9 calories per gram, and they don’t have many health benefits. It’s best to choose them carefully and watch portions.

    Here are foods in this group.

    • Fats like butter, oil, and shortening
    • Fried foods like French fries and fried chicken
    • Salad dressing, mayonnaise
    • Candy, cookies, and chips
    • Bacon and other fatty processed meats

    Menu Examples for Shifting to a Higher Volume Diet

    These are examples of how you might shift your diet to a higher volume diet that’s more filling and lower in calories. Be sure to check with your healthcare provider before making dietary changes, and to modify the menus to meet your needs. Plus, include plenty of water, and remember to be physically active as your health allows.

    Sample Day 1

    Original (2,100 calories) Higher Volume (1,600 calories)
    Breakfast
    Bagel with 2 tablespoons of cream cheese
    Whole-grain English muffin
    ½ cup of low-fat cottage cheese 1 cup of fresh fruit
    Lunch
    Fried chicken sandwich on bun Medium fries
    Soft drink
    3 ounces of grilled chicken with 1 ounce of low-fat cheese on a green salad with 2 tablespoons of vinaigrette or light dressing
    Fresh fruit salad
    Sparkling water or unsweetened ice tea
    Dinner
    6 oz ribeye steak
    1 ½ cups French fries
    Dinner roll
    4 ounces of skinless chicken or fish 1 cup of cooked acorn squash
    ½ cup of whole-grain pasta
    2-4 cups of green salad with 2 tablespoons dressing
    Snack
    1 ounce of chips
    2 tablespoons dip
    1 cup of raw vegetables
    ¼ cup of guacamole



    Sample Day 2

    Original (2,100 calories) Higher Volume (1,600 calories)
    Breakfast
    2 eggs cooked using butter 2 slices of bacon
    1 slices of toasted white bread 1 tablespoon of butter
    1 tablespoon of jam
    1 egg and 2 egg whites cooked with 1 cup of vegetables (like spinach, tomatoes, onions) using cooking spray
    1 slice of whole-grain bread 1 tablespoon of peanut butter
    Lunch
    Turkey sandwich on kaiser roll with mayo and cheese
    1 cup of broccoli cheddar soup
    Turkey sandwich on mini bagel with mustard and low-fat cheese
    1 ½ cups of minestrone soup 1 medium apple
    Dinner
    Quesadilla with 2 ounces cheese and 2 ounces of ground beef on 2 soft taco size flour tortillas
    ¼ cup sour cream 1 cup of white rice
    Quesadilla on 1 whole-wheat soft taco size flour tortilla with 1 ounce of low-fat cheese and 2 ounces of lean ground turkey
    1 cup of grilled onions and peppers or lettuce and tomatoes
    ¼ cup of plain yogurt
    ¼ cup of salsa
    ½ cup of cooked brown rice
    Snack
    Sausage stick
    Low-fat string cheese stick



    Sample Day 3

    Original (2,100 calories) Higher Volume (1,600 calories)
    Breakfast
    ¾ cup granola
    1 cup whole milk
    1 banana
    2 tablespoons of coconut flakes
    1 cup plain oat O’s 1 cup of skim milk 1 banana
    ½ ounce of sliced almonds
    Lunch
    2 slices of meat lover’s pizza 2 breadsticks
    Brownie
    2 slices of thin crust vegetable pizza with light cheese
    1 breadstick
    Salad with 2 tablespoons of light or vinaigrette dressing
    ½ cup yogurt with ½ cup fruit
    Dinner
    2 cups of white spaghetti
    ½ cup marinara sauce
    3 meatballs with ground beef Garlic toast
    1 cup of whole-wheat spaghetti
    ½ cup marinara sauce with ½ cup of cooked vegetables
    3 meatballs with lean ground turkey 1 cup of steamed broccoli florets
    Snack
    Candy bar
    2-3 graham cracker
    quares 1 cup of grapes

    How Lark Can Help

    Managing stress can get you closer to your weight and health goals. Lark can also help you make positive choices on a daily basis. Your Lark coach is available 24/7 for encouragement and nutrition and physical activity coaching and tracking. Lark can help you make healthy choices and establish habits that fit into your lifestyle so you can lose weight and keep it off with or without GLP-1 medications.

    Click here to see if you may be eligible to join Lark today!

    Reviewed by Heather Tonkins, Lark Health Coach.

    Calorie and nutrient information in meal plans and recipes are approximations. Please verify for accuracy. Please also verify information on ingredients, special diets, and allergens.

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