When trying to lose weight, many people simply start eating less. But eating less is a weight loss myth. Instead, it's a good idea to focus on eating healthy, low-calorie foods, even in good portions. Taking a limited approach and depriving yourself is one of the most ineffective paths you can take, whether your goal is weight loss or simply healthy eating, says Suhani Jain, registered dietitian and diet consultant, Bloomwithin. “Instead, a more reasonable and sustainable approach may be 'volume eating', where the emphasis is on choosing foods that are large in quantity but low in caloric value and therefore low in calorie density. This is a smartly planned approach that allows: .You can eat larger portions and feel satisfyingly full while tracking your calorie intake.”
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How 'big meals' can help you lose weight
Consultant dietitian Rupali Datta explains that adding more volume to our diet and eating foods that are not too high in calories can help reduce our total calorie intake. “The key to dieting is choosing low-calorie, high-fat foods in large quantities. So start your meals with a salad, choose fruit for snacks, and add moderate amounts of fiber-rich grains and plant-based proteins to achieve your weight loss goals. .while promoting health.”
Nutritionist Nupuur Patil added, “By increasing the amount of food consumed without significantly increasing calorie intake, individuals can suppress hunger, reduce overall calorie consumption and create a sustainable calorie deficit that can aid weight loss.” .
5 Tips and Tricks for Adopting Bulk Meals
After learning about the weight loss benefits of the 'Volume Diet', are you wondering how to follow this diet? Here are some practical and easy tips shared by nutritionist Suhani Jain that may help you:
- Add a variety of vegetables to each meal. Add spinach, gourd or pumpkin to your breakfast omelet, cheera or khichdi. Stuff chapatis, make wraps and salads, or mix roasted or steamed vegetables into pasta or vegetable bowl dishes.
- Choose smart snacks using bulk, low-calorie snacks such as fresh fruit, air-popped popcorn, yogurt, carrots, cucumber sticks and curd/hummus dip.
- Always choose steaming, baking, broiling and grilling rather than frying or using excessive amounts of fat in cooking.
- Start your meal with a broth-based soup, healthy salad, or stir-fried steamed vegetables. This will add volume and help you feel full before choosing higher calorie foods.
- Watch out for calorie-dense sauces, dressings, and condiments, and avoid hidden fats and sugars. Choose better alternatives and use herbs, spices, lemon juice, vinegar, home-made chutneys, curd-based dips, salsas or water-based pickled vegetables.
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