High Volume Low Calorie Foods: Eat More for Fewer Calories

Written by AdnanUpdated October 30, 20267 min read

High volume, low calorie foods are foods rich in water and fibre that fill a lot of plate for few calories: vegetables, fruit, broth-based soup, boiled potatoes and plain yoghurt. The idea is energy density, which means calories per gram. Pick low-density foods for most of your meal and a deficit feels easier. Set your own calorie target with the cutting calculator and the TDEE calculator.

Infographic: High-volume, low-calorie foods. Fill the plate with water-rich foods and you eat more for less. — The short version. Tap to open full size, then save or share it.

What energy density means

Energy density is calories divided by grams. Water has none, which is why watery foods score low. Barbara Rolls, a nutrition scientist at Penn State, groups foods into bands in her Volumetrics approach:

Category	Calories per gram	Examples
Very low	under 0.6	Most vegetables and fruit, broth-based soups, skim milk
Low	0.6 to 1.5	Potatoes, beans and lentils, oatmeal, plain nonfat yoghurt, lean fish
Medium	1.5 to 4	Chicken breast, meat, bread, cheese, pasta (dry-weight foods are higher)
High	over 4	Nuts, chocolate, crackers, oils, butter

Foods by calories per 100 g

Values are rounded from USDA FoodData Central.

Food	Calories per 100 g	Calories per typical serving
Cucumber	15	16 per cup sliced
Lettuce, iceberg	14	about 10 per cup shredded
Tomato	18	about 22 for a medium one
Watermelon	30	46 per cup diced
Strawberries	32	49 per cup halves
Cauliflower, boiled	about 23	about 29 per cup
Broccoli, boiled	35	about 55 per cup
Apple	52	95 for a medium one
Greek yoghurt, nonfat	59	about 100 per 170 g
Potato, boiled	87	about 130 per 150 g
Lentils, cooked	116	about 230 per cup
Chicken breast, cooked	165	165 per 100 g

Compare these with almonds at about 579 calories per 100 g or olive oil at 884. That is why a tablespoon of oil (119 calories) holds the same energy as about 800 g of cucumber.

What the research shows

In a Penn State study, adding 300 g of salad worth about 100 calories to a pasta meal lowered the meal's total calories by about 11 percent (57 calories), and the average energy density of the meal fell from 1.51 to 0.85 kcal per gram (Roe, Meengs and Rolls, 2012). The results come from a single lab study with a small number of meals, so treat them as supportive, not a guarantee. Read more in what is satiety.

A high-volume plate, worked out

About 510 calories, about 600 g of food150 g cooked chicken breast (248 calories), 300 g steamed broccoli and cauliflower (about 90), 150 g boiled potatoes (130) and 1 tsp olive oil (40). Total: about 508 calories, and the energy density is 508 ÷ 600 = 0.85 kcal per gram, in the low band. The same calories as 100 g of cheese crackers and a handful of nuts would fit on a saucer.

Cooking tricks

Bulk up soups and stews with extra vegetables, beans or lentils.
Grate courgette or cauliflower into mince dishes, rice and sauces.
Use broth as a base instead of cream.
Roast or steam vegetables with a measured teaspoon of oil rather than pouring it.

Easy swaps

Start with soup or salad before a meal (watch the dressing).
Replace half the pasta or rice with vegetables such as courgette (zucchini), cauliflower or spinach.
Choose whole fruit over juice. You chew more and drink fewer calories.
Use plain yoghurt instead of cream or mayonnaise in dips.
Choose potatoes or beans over refined snacks as a base.
Measure oil. It is the highest-density item in the kitchen (portion control).

Caveats

Low density should not mean low nutrition. Keep protein high so you hold on to muscle in a deficit (high protein grocery list), and include fibre (highest fibre foods). If you are underweight or trying to gain, do the reverse (high calorie snacks). For a snack list, see zero calorie snacks.

Set a moderate deficit, then fill your plate with high-volume foods.

Open the cutting calculator

Frequently asked questions

What are high volume, low calorie foods?

Foods that fill a large amount of space for few calories, mostly because they are rich in water and fibre. Vegetables, fruit, broth-based soups, potatoes and plain yoghurt are typical.

What is energy density?

Calories per gram of food. Cucumber is about 0.15 kcal/g, apples about 0.5, boiled potatoes about 0.9, chicken breast about 1.7 and almonds about 5.8.

Does eating high volume foods help weight loss?

It can. In controlled studies, people eating lower energy-dense meals ate fewer calories without feeling hungrier. It works best alongside enough protein.

Can I eat unlimited vegetables?

In practice nearly, as they are hard to overeat. Most people are not limited by them. Watch the oil, dressing and cheese that go on top.

Are low-calorie foods always healthy?

Not always. Choose whole foods first. Diet products can be low in calories but not in nutrients, and very low-calorie eating without enough protein can cost muscle.

Keep reading

Sources

Roe LS, Meengs JS, Rolls BJ. Salad and satiety: the effect of timing of salad consumption on meal energy intake. Appetite. 2012;58(1):242–248.
Rolls BJ. The relationship between dietary energy density and energy intake. Physiol Behav. 2009;97(5):609–615.
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central. fdc.nal.usda.gov. Values in this guide are rounded from USDA entries for the foods named; brands and preparation change them.