Using calorie density is a way of looking at foods in terms of how many calories they have for a given volume. It’s one of the most useful ways to think about portion sizes when you’re trying to lose – or gain – weight.
As an example, nuts and seeds have a lot of calories in a small volume so they’re a high calorie density. Zucchini has a lot less calories for the same volume, because it’s full of water and fiber, so it’s a low calorie density food.
Both have a place in a healthy eating plan, but if you’re conscious of calorie density it can help you figure out how much of each you should eat.
If you’re trying to lose weight, you can eat more foods that are lower calorie density (fresh vegetables and fruit) so that you fill your stomach up with less calories.
If, on the other hand, you’re trying to gain weight, you’ll want to eat more foods that are higher calorie density (grains, beans, nuts, seeds, avocados) so that you can fit enough calories in your stomach to give you the energy you need to grow and build.
If you’re struggling with working out how to make your portion sizes work for you, you might want to check out the 7 day healthy eating plan I put together.
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It’s built on a dynamic portion calculator – so that you can see exactly how to manage portion sizes for different energy needs, and still maintain a healthy balanced diet with tons of nutrients.
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