Advice from the Experts
The expert research panel that evaluated the scientific evidence for The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, published jointly by the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services, concluded that “Increased consumption of fruits and vegetables may be a useful component of programs designed to achieve and sustain weight loss."1 Vegetables and fruits contain a high percentage of water and are low in energy density (E.D.), and so provide relatively few calories for the volume or weight of food consumed. Studies on the effects of increasing vegetable and fruit intake on body weight or body mass index (BMI) indicate that simply adding more servings of fruits and vegetables to your diet will not automatically result in weight loss, since fruits and vegetables are not calorie-free foods. Therefore, it is essential to reduce total calorie intake in order to lose weight. But, including vegetables and fruits that are low in E.D. and high in water in your diet, and substituting them for higher calorie foods, is a great way to lower the amount of calories you take in daily.
How Can Choosing Low-Energy Dense Foods Help with Controlling Calorie Intake and Weight Loss?
The underlying principle is to fill up on foods that have a large volume and relatively few calories. Water-rich foods, like vegetables, fruits and soups, are examples of these foods with large volumes which can help you feel fuller. Dr. Barbara Rolls, an expert in this area, has conducted research on the effects of different foods on feelings of satiety -- how satisfied or full you feel after eating. Her experiments have found that the total weight of food eaten is a key factor in how full you feel. By substituting low-energy dense foods for higher energy dense foods you can lower total calorie intake, since you will eat the same weight of food, but for fewer calories. For example, if you choose a cup of Campbell’s® Tomato soup (low E.D.) instead of a granola bar (high E.D.) for a snack you can save about 50 calories. While that may not sound like a lot, consider that lowering your calorie intake by 50 calories per day for 1 year (365 days) will lead to a calorie deficit of more than 18,000 calories. That should result in about 5 pounds of weight loss, an impressive result for a small dietary change!
Dr. Rolls has developed the Volumetrics Eating Plan, a weight-management plan that emphasizes foods with a high-water content that are low in energy density.2 One of the recommended strategies is to “Incorporate low-energy dense foods into your diet wherever you can. Have them before meals, with meals, use them in your favorite recipes.” In one of Dr. Rolls’ experiments, young men consumed 14 ounces of V8® 100% vegetable juice before lunch (88 calories) and they reduced their calorie intake by 136 calories at lunch, a net savings of 48 calories.3 As the example above illustrates, this difference in calorie intake can add up to real weight loss if sustained over time. The bottom line is that including lots of low-energy dense foods in place of those higher in energy density can help you feel full on fewer calories and ultimately lead to weight loss.
Choices Galore!
Many vegetables and fruits, as well as broth-based soups, are low in energy density. Examples include broccoli, peppers, lettuce, tomatoes, and strawberries. Foods that include fruit and vegetables and/or contain a large percentage of water, like soup, are also low in energy density, like V8® 100% vegetable juice, Campbell’s® tomato juice and many broth-based soups such as Campbell’s® 25% Less Sodium Chicken Noodle, Campbell’s® Vegetarian Vegetable, and Campbell’s® Chicken with Rice soups. Be mindful that starchy vegetables such as beans, peas, corn, and potatoes and fruits such as bananas and avocados are higher in energy density than other choices.
Click here to see Campbell's® soups which provide at least ½ cup serving of vegetables.
1 Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005. U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
2 Rolls, Barbara. The Volumetrics Eating Plan Techniques and Recipes for Feeling Full on Fewer Calories.2005. HarperCollins, New York.
3 Rolls, B. et al. Effects of temperature and mode of presentation of juice on hunger, thirst and food intake in humans.Appetite. 1990 Dec;15(3):199-208.