• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Fit & Flourish

Health & Wellness blog

  • Home
  • Nourish
  • Fitness
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Contact
  • Search
You are here: Home / Nourish / How to maximize your calories for weight loss

How to maximize your calories for weight loss

By Fawn Lynn on March 19, 2021

weight loss

If you’d like to shed a few pounds but find it difficult to track your food or calorie intake, learning how to maximize your calories is a great tool to help you achieve your weight loss goals. Paying attention to calorie density in foods may allow you to eat more, stay full longer, and continue to lose weight without counting calories.

Although the number of calories we consume matters. Where those calories come from is just as important when it comes to weight management. (Remember, calories are just a measurement of the amount of energy a food has.)

All foods contain calories, but some are more calorie dense than others. Calorie density refers to the amount of calories a food has relative to its weight. High calorie dense foods contain a large number of calories in a small amount of food. For example, processed foods that are high in added sugar and fats have a high calorie density.

Low calorie dense foods have a much lower number of calories per gram. In other words, they take up more space in your stomach with fewer calories consumed. An ounce of cheese (about the size of a pair of dice) is around 114 calories, while three cups of steamed broccoli is about 93. It’s easy to see that the broccoli takes up far more space than the cheese and helps to create that feeling of fullness.

Focusing on eating less calorie dense foods allows us to eat more without worrying so much about the calorie content of our food. These are also the foods that just so happen to be more nutrient rich, providing us with essential vitamins and minerals for optimal health.

By consuming more whole foods (less processed), more fruits and vegetables (including starchy vegetables), more whole grains, and lean protein (beans, legumes, and lean meat) you can maximize your calorie intake and feel satisfied and full long after you eat without counting calories.There are several easy ways you can do this while still enjoying the food you love.

Here are some tips on how to maximize your calories for weight loss:

Focus on vegetables at mealtimes. 

Vegetables are low in calories, satiating, and extremely healthy for you. This is the number one way to cut back on calories and feel satisfied longer.

Non-starchy vegetables should make up a good portion of your daily calories. Use your plate as a guide to maximize weight loss. Fill half your plate with non-starchy vegetables at mealtimes. The other half should be composed of starchy vegetables, whole grains and lean protein. If you go for “seconds”, continue using this as a rule of thumb, filling half your plate with vegetables.

There are a variety of ways to prepare vegetables that can make them more palatable. My favorite methods include roasting, grilling, and air frying. Season them well with your favorite spices and try not to use cooking oil or butter. Oil and butter are very calorie dense (one tbsp of olive oil yields about 120 calories) so use them sparingly.

Get creative in finding other ways to incorporate them in your meals. Toss pasta with grapes tomatoes, broccoli, zucchini, or asparagus. Add plenty of vegetables to your soups. Make sandwiches and wraps filled with leafy greens, tomatoes, red peppers, and cucumbers. Start cooking more plant-based meals, making vegetables a large part of the main course, instead of just a side dish.

Don’t forget about starchy vegetables! Potatoes, corn, sweet potatoes, winter squash, and parsnips are low calorie foods that can (and should) have a large presence on your plate. When using your plate as a guide, these should be considered a starchy food and be placed opposite of your non-starchy vegetables, along with any grains or protein.

Potatoes have gotten a bad reputation over the years unfortunately. This is probably due to the fact that they are often associated with high fat foods like french fries, and potato chips. The truth is, potatoes are a low calorie dense food, yielding only about 161 calories for a medium baked potato (with skin). They are also very filling and can be prepared in numerous delicious ways, even without oil.

Fill up on fruit. 

Fruit is another good low calorie dense food option. You can incorporate fruit in your diet by including a small bowl of it with your meals. This can help to reduce calories and fill you up.

Snack on fruit between meals or for dessert. A good fruit snack might be apple slices with a tablespoon of nut butter, or fresh fruit smoothies with oat or nut milk. Frozen fruit or a sliced banana with a bit of whipped topping and a sprinkle of dark chocolate chips makes a satisfying dessert.

Go oil-free in your cooking. 

One of the biggest ways to reduce calories is to cut back on using oil and butter.

Although there are some oils that have health benefits, cooking oil can really pack a punch when it comes to calorie content. One tablespoon has around 120 calories, and butter has about 100 per tbsp. There are several techniques when it comes to oil-free cooking, and plenty of recipes around the web. Learning how to cook without oil is simple. Find my oil-free cooking tips here.

Start your meals with a salad or low calorie vegetable soup and eat that first. 

If you are having trouble regularly incorporating vegetables into your meals, try just having a large salad or bowl of vegetable soup before you eat anything else.

Stick to low fat, low calorie dressing, add plenty of tasty vegetables, and go easy on salad toppers such as nuts and croutons.

There are many types of vegetable soups available to buy at your local grocery store. Or you can plan ahead and make your own. The idea is to fill up on salad or soup first to help prevent overeating the higher calorie foods at mealtimes.

Switch to whole grains.

Making the switch to whole grains from refined breads and pastas gives you the most bang for your buck when it comes to calories and nutrition. Aside from being better for you, they offer more in the way of fiber than refined grains. Fiber takes up more space in your stomach and is digested slower, helping to keep you full longer.

So if you love pasta, switch to whole grain pasta. If you can’t manage to let go of bread, try whole wheat or whole grain varieties. Other wonderfully filling grains include quinoa, barley, brown rice, and oats.

Opt for lean protein sources.

Lean protein has less calories overall due to a lower fat content. Lean meats, fish, beans & legumes, and tofu are all good lean protein sources. Beans and legumes contain a lot of filling fiber. Lean meats and poultry are better for you than fattier cuts and will have less calories per pound.

Stick to unprocessed, whole foods.

Processed foods tend to be high in added fats and sugar. Additionally most of the fiber is taken out, meaning it will lack the ability to take up more space in your stomach and help you feel full.

Choose whole, unprocessed foods, or minimally processed (the fewer ingredients, the better). These are foods that are free of additives, preservatives, and added sodium making them healthier for you overall. You are also less likely to overeat whole foods or foods that you prepare from scratch.

Eat lighter versions of your favorite foods. 

Many of your favorite recipes can be tweaked to a lower calorie version. A quick google search of your favorite recipes using terms such as light, healthy, or low calorie will bring up plenty of web results. Finding recipes that list the nutrition content is even sweeter. A few of my favorite go-to sites are Cooking Light, Skinnytaste, and Eating Well.

Following these simple tips to help maximize your calorie intake can allow you more freedom to enjoy nutritious food without obsessing about your diet.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

  • facebook
  • instagram
  • pinterest

Featured Recipes

Strawberry Banana Protein Smoothie

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Protein Bars (vegan friendly)

Perfect Vegan Chili

Footer

Legal

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • CCPA
  • Do Not Sell My Personal Information

Disclaimer

Any and all information provided by Fit & Flourish on fitandflourish.com is for general informational and educational purposes only and are not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider. See additional information.

Copyright © 2023 Fit & Flourish

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Do not sell my personal information.
Cookie settingsACCEPT
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-advertisement1 yearThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Advertisement".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
CookieDurationDescription
__gads1 year 24 daysThis cookie is set by Google and stored under the name dounleclick.com. This cookie is used to track how many times users see a particular advert which helps in measuring the success of the campaign and calculate the revenue generated by the campaign. These cookies can only be read from the domain that it is set on so it will not track any data while browsing through another sites.
_ga2 yearsThis cookie is installed by Google Analytics. The cookie is used to calculate visitor, session, campaign data and keep track of site usage for the site's analytics report. The cookies store information anonymously and assign a randomly generated number to identify unique visitors.
_gat_gtag_UA_154484387_11 minuteGoogle uses this cookie to distinguish users.
_gid1 dayThis cookie is installed by Google Analytics. The cookie is used to store information of how visitors use a website and helps in creating an analytics report of how the wbsite is doing. The data collected including the number visitors, the source where they have come from, and the pages viisted in an anonymous form.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
CookieDurationDescription
test_cookie15 minutesThis cookie is set by doubleclick.net. The purpose of the cookie is to determine if the user's browser supports cookies.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
Other
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
CookieDurationDescription
_ca.602c385caa507d00291885002 yearsNo description
gadsTestsessionNo description
SAVE & ACCEPT
Powered by CookieYes Logo