Eating a plate of pasta with tomato and vegetable sauce is much more satisfying than eating a single Italian sausage—yet both contain about the same number of calories.

The explanation is simple: your stomach is more sensitive to the volume of food you eat than the number of calories food contains. Your brain realizes that you’ve eaten enough when your stomach is full, and not when a certain number of calories have been consumed.

To lose weight without feeling hungry, you should opt for foods that are low in calories compared to their volume. So-called “low energy density” foods are generally rich in fibre and contain a lot of water and little fat or sugar. With these foods you can create more nutritious meals that make you feel fuller, which will help you lose weight.

Each of the following examples contains 150 calories. Low energy density foods have the benefit of providing a larger quantity for 150 calories.

Low Energy Density Foods	High Energy Density Foods
310 mL (1¼ cup) of corn bran cereal 4.5 L (19 cups) of lettuce 30 cauliflower florets 750 mL (3 cups) of strawberries 250 mL (1 cup) of fruit salad 250 mL (1 cup) of plain yogurt (2% M.F.) 175 mL (¾ cup) of chickpeas, lentils, etc. 150 g (5 oz.) of baked fish 1.4 L (5½ cups) of light popcorn	2 mini croissants 30 mL (2 tbsp.) of dressing 1/2 regular serving of fries 45 mL (3 tbsp.) of strawberry jam 30 mL (2 tbsp.) of chocolate chips 45 mL (3 tbsp.) of cream (35% M.F.) 75 mL (1/3 cup) of grated cheddar (30% M.F.) 1/2 Italian sausage 15 potato chips

Now it’s up to you to decide how you’re going to fill up your plate!

Two Versions of Three Meals
In comparison, it’s obvious that the low energy density version provides more volume for fewer calories as well as more vitamins and minerals.

	Low Energy Density Version	High Energy Density Version
Breakfast	Carrot and raisin bran muffin 250 mL (1 cup) of 1% milk ½ grapefruit	Bagel with cream cheese 15 mL (1 tbsp.)
	350 calories	350 calories
Lunch	250 mL (1 cup) of assorted raw veggies (baby carrots, bell pepper strips, cucumber slices) Chicken and apple sandwich 1 piece of partly skimmed cheese Vegetable juice Crunchy yogurt with berries	6 inch submarine with cold cuts and mayonnaise Small cake
	630 calories (A complete meal chock-full of nutrients!)	915 calories (A small lunch with nothing to drink!)
Dinner	Curried trout filet 125 mL (1/2 cup) of basmati rice 3 broccoli florets 1 grilled tomato Fruit salad with basil and ginger	Italian sausage (100 g) Medium serving of fries
	700 calories	700 calories

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