How To Eat More Food Without Getting Fat
Calorie Density of Food: How Eat More Food Without Getting Fat
On today’s episode, I’m showing you another nutrition strategy on how to eat MORE food without getting fat.
I say another nutrition strategy, because a few weeks ago, I shared how to eat more food while creating a bigger calorie deficit via the g flux.
Now, if you’ve ever followed a low calorie diet before, you know the horrible feeling of always being hungry.
The constant cravings, the hunger pains, and never feeling fully satisfied after your properly portioned out meal or snack.
I bet a lot of you are nodding your heads right now cause you feel me.
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But you don’t have to suffer anymore.
I’m going to show you how you can still lose fat, while sticking to your calorie and macronutrient goals, by eating more food.
Here’s the secret, learn about the calorie density of food.
What is calorie density?
Calorie density simply means the amount of calories contained in a certain amount of food.
Which option do you think has more calories?
Option A: one cup of potato chips:
Option B: one cup of spinach:
I’m pretty sure the answer is clear.
Even though the quantity of both options contain one cup of food, option A is a higher calorie dense food.
Foods that are small in volume but high in calories are considered high calorie dense foods.
Potato Chips are a great example of a high calorie dense food.
One serving of potato chips is 28g, which is about 15 chips, and is approximately 155 calories!
And in all honesty, who just eats 15 chips?
High calorie dense foods are often considered “Trigger Foods”
I call potato chips a trigger food as it’s hard not to eat 750 calories of potato chips in one sitting.
Option B, spinach, and most fibrous vegetables, would be considered a low calorie dense food.
One cup of spinach contains only approximately 7 calories, meaning you would have to eat 22 cups of spinach to equal one cup of potato chips.
Therefore, if you’re following a low calorie diet, focus on filling up your plate with low calorie dense foods.
Now I’m not saying you should try to fill yourself up eating just spinach.
Other low calorie dense foods include:
- Lean protein sources like chicken, turkey, eggs, and fish
- Fibrous Vegetables
- Most low glycemic fruit
However I get it.
Comparing spinach and potato chips is just not very practical.
So lets use another example of an amazing plate of food, that is delicious, and in most cases, considered healthy.
The stir fry.
Yes, the stir fry was a staple for me when I was just beginning my Live Lean journey.
Although I really didn’t know how to cook, or how to prepare tasty meals, it’s pretty hard to mess up a stir fry.
So let’s break down what goes in a typical stir fry.
All high quality sources of calories that will fill you up and make your food taste amazing.
Now, the next addition is the key.
Option A:
4 ounces of chicken breast, one cup of rice, one cup of vegetables consisting of: bell peppers, broccoli, mushrooms:
- 4 ounces of chicken: 187 calories
- One cup of rice: 206 calories
- One cup of vegetables: 29 calories
- Total: 422 calories
Option B:
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Two cups of vegetables (no rice) consisting of: bell peppers, broccoli, mushrooms:
- 6 ounces of chicken: 281 calories
- Two cups of vegetables: 58 calories
- Total: 339 calories
By simply swapping out a higher calorie dense food like rice, with more lower calorie dense foods like vegetables and chicken, you’re eating a higher volume of food, while consuming 20% less calories.
So if you’re making a stir fry…
Skip the unnecessary, higher calorie dense foods like carbohydrate rich rice or pasta, and add in more vegetables and healthy protein sources.
Not only are these vegetables filled with healthy vitamins and minerals, they’ll also help fill you up without all the added calories.
This is just another nutrition strategy to help you win the battle of the bulge.
Join Our Team For More Group Coaching
If your goal is to lose weight or build muscle, there is a healthy and sustainable way to do it, and that’s what we show our group coaching clients over at TeamLiveLean.com.
Each week, we provide a new meal plan and delicious cooking recipe videos showing how to sustainably fuel your body with the necessary nutrients it needs to thrive, 365 days a year.
You’ll also get workouts and accountability from other people just like you.
If you’re not yet a member, it’s time.
Thanks for watching, and keep Living Lean.
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Brad Gouthro is the founder of Live Lean TV, a media company focused on helping men and women “Live Lean” 365 days a year. Brad’s programs and content have helped millions of people all over the world learn how to get in shape, and more importantly, sustain it for life.
Thank you for always providing real and simple content that we can all apply. It clearly shows that you have a passion to help others and that you care about our health, goals, and well-being.