Water has zero calories and may help tide you over until your next meal, or at least until you can find a low energy density snack. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Low-Energy-Dense Foods and Weight Management: Cutting Calories While Controlling Hunger. Hill JO, Wyatt HR, Peters JC. Energy Balance and Obesity. Department of Agriculture. Dietary Guidelines for Americans — Kowal-Connelly S. American Academy of Pediatrics. How Children Develop Unhealthy Food Preferences.

Daniels MC, Popkin BM. Impact of water intake on energy intake and weight status: a systematic review.

Nutr Rev. By Shereen Lehman, MS Shereen Lehman, MS, is a former writer for Verywell Fit and Reuters Health.

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List of Partners vendors. Nutrition Basics. By Shereen Lehman, MS, is a former writer for Verywell Fit and Reuters Health. Strawberries and cream g.

Berries, low-fat yogurt and a sprinkle of lower sugar granola g. Which foods are lower in energy density? Foods that have a lot of water or fibre are typically low in energy density, such as: foods that are naturally high in water, such as fruit and vegetables foods like pasta, rice and potatoes with skins that absorb water during cooking vegetable-based dishes with added water such as soups and stews Water in foods can add volume to the meal, helping you to feel fuller, without adding to the calories.

How can I reduce the energy density of my diet? Cut the energy density of your diet by choosing: Foods with high water content Lower energy density foods include foods that are naturally high in water, such as fresh fruit and vegetables, foods like pasta, rice and pulses that absorb water during cooking and dishes with added water such as soups and stews.

These foods are rich in healthy fats: Nuts, nut butters and seeds — unsalted, unsweetened nuts, seeds and nut butters can be a healthy snack or addition to curries and stir fries. As well as unsaturated healthy fats they contain fibre, protein, vitamins and minerals.

Oils for cooking and salads and spreads for bread — some unsaturated oils like olive and rapeseed should be included in a healthy, balanced diet but do measure out the amount you need carefully or use spray oils. You can also opt for reduced fat, unsaturated spreads rather than full-fat spreads.

Avocados — these have a high unsaturated healthy fat content compared to other fruit and vegetables. You can include avocados as part of a healthy, balanced diet. Download the guide below to find out more. In this leaflet we look at ways you can eat more, satisfy your appetite and still lose weight.

Help us improve We'd love to hear your thoughts about this page below. Why did you visit the page? Would you like to add any comments? What is the issue? Would you like to be contacted about your feedback? Email Address: Required for your account area.

Password: Required for your account area. Got a spare 5 minutes to help us improve our website? Foods that are nutrient-dense have high levels of nutrients per serving. Table 1. Spinach is nutrient-dense but provides few calories. Cheese is both energy-dense and nutrient-dense. DOWNLOAD Publication FSHN Release Date: May 10th, Related Experts.

Dahl, Wendy J. Foster, Lauren external University of Florida. Related Collections Elder Nutrition and Food Safety Program ENAFS. Related Units Food Science and Human Nutrition.

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lower, medium vs. To be eligible, studies had to have measured energy intake for a minimum of 1 day i. at least 3 main meals. Measurements of energy intake that were based on an objective researcher measurement e. dietary recall or a combination were eligible.

Energy intake could be assessed under controlled laboratory settings or in real-world settings to be eligible. Measures of energy intake that were not determined by sampled participants e. an infant being bottle or spoon fed were not eligible.

participants receive all energy density conditions or a between-subjects design studies i. participants receive only one energy density condition were eligible. consumption of a set amount of energy density manipulated food and these designs were eligible.

manipulation of both energy density of food and portion sizes in the same study were eligible. The electronic databases PsycINFO, PubMed and SCOPUS from date of inception were searched during September—October For combinations of search terms used please refer to online supplementary material.

The reference lists of all eligible papers were searched and we also contacted authors of included studies to inquire about any further eligible studies. Potential grey literature was addressed to minimize publication bias by searching the OSF preprint archive includes 30 other preprint archives, including Nutrixiv.

Two authors independently screened and judged eligibility of all articles identified through electronic searches. One author completed the snowballing and grey literature searching approaches to identify any additional potentially eligible articles, eligibility was confirmed by a second author.

Any discrepancies during eligibility assessments were discussed with a third author. Searches were re-run in October to identify any new eligible studies published between and None were identified. The following study information was extracted by two authors independently any discrepancies were resolved through discussion or by a third author ; sampled participants e.

country, participant group sampled, summary information concerning sample demographics , energy density manipulation e. within or between-subjects , energy intake measure self-report vs. researcher measured, vs. ad libitum , number of days energy intake was measured for, energy intake information e.

energy intake under different conditions of energy density , whether body weight was measured before and after the different energy density conditions, and study factors related to risk of bias see below.

Authors were contacted and asked to provide details if statistical information required for analyses examining energy intake was missing e. standard error not reported for energy intake under different energy density conditions. Existing risk of bias tools do not capture all key aspects of study methodology when examining the effect of experimental manipulations of energy density on energy intake.

Therefore, similar to other systematic reviews of studies examining energy intake [ 29 ], our risk of bias checklist was created by using relevant items from existing study quality assessment tools e.

Cochrane risk of bias indicators relating to randomization and blinding and by consulting best practice recommendations for studying energy intake under experimental conditions to identify other relevant potential biases [ 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 ].

Did the study fail to use key participant exclusion criteria e. use of medication affecting appetite? Was any key methodological detail missing e. limited information on procedures? Was a non-random method of allocation to the different energy density condition used or was allocation method not described?

Were demand characteristics not addressed in the study e. no attempt to blind participants to study aims or measure whether differences between energy density foods were detectable?

Was the study not pre-registered? Was there an absence of information on conflicts of interest or a reported relevant conflict of interest?

Deviations from planned analyses are reported in the online supplemental material. We first examined the effect of energy density condition on daily energy intake. Because a number of studies contributed multiple energy density comparisons e.

lower, medium, higher , we used multi-level meta-analysis [ 35 ]. More detailed information is available in the online supplementary materials. If any outliers were identified, we examined the effect of removing them from the main primary meta-analysis. We also excluded them from our subsequent primary sub-group and meta-regression analyses on daily energy intake to minimize results being driven by large effects, but also examined if results were consistent when included.

Dependent on outcome of interest, we either report meta-analyses as standardised mean difference SMD , whereby SMDs of 0. To examine whether participant or study features moderated the effect of energy density condition on daily energy intake, we conducted a series of sub-group analyses and meta-regressions.

We examined the effect of age group children vs. adult samples , sex female vs. male vs. fat vs. carbohydrates altered between conditions vs. kept constant and number of days energy intake was assessed for in the study meta-regression. We also assessed risk of bias indicators for which there was sufficient variability between studies in a series of sub-groups analyses; use of random allocation yes vs.

reliant on self-report , whether demand characteristics were assessed addressed vs. not addressed , conflicts of interest statement included and no conflict vs. conflict reported or unclear.

There was sufficient variability across studies to examine whether changes to energy density occurring at lower energy densities e.

reducing energy density of a relatively low energy dense food produced smaller sized effects on daily energy intake as changes to energy density occurring at higher levels of energy density e. reducing energy density of an energy dense food.

in which one or more energy density condition exceeded 1. not, we conducted separate analyses for these two study types.

We repeated the same analyses as above, as well as examining whether compulsory eating participants required to consume one or meals eaten in full vs. ad libitum consumption moderated results, as it was only common among this study type. We also examined the relationship between the total difference in kcals served between energy density conditions and daily energy intake using meta-regression.

it was compulsory for participants to eat the meal in full and this equates to a standard error of 0, entered as 0. after lower and higher energy density conditions. We used generic variance inverse meta-analysis to pool change in body weight kg.

In instances where a study had multiple energy density conditions, to maximise statistical power, a-priori we only included the energy density condition contrast with the largest difference in energy density served.

Figure 1 outlines the study selection process. Twenty-seven studies sampled adults and the remaining four studies sampled children.

All studies used within-subjects designs to examine the effect of manipulating energy density. The lowest energy density condition in a study was 0. The highest energy density condition in a study was 5. See Table 1 for individual study information. measurement of participant awareness of different energy density conditions.

See supplementary online materials for individual study risk of bias information. See Fig. Results remained significant in sensitivity analyses varying the size of within-subjects correlation for daily energy intake see online supplementary material.

See online supplementary materials for funnel plot. Sub-group analyses comparing adult vs. child and male vs. female samples were non-significant see online supplementary materials for results in full.

Moderation analysis comparing effects for which energy density was varied by manipulating nutritional composition 28 effect sizes vs. Analyses examining whether effects of energy density on daily energy intake were dependent on whether studies used self-report vs. measured energy intake, addressed demand characteristics and conflicts of interest vs.

did not were all non-significant. See online supplementary materials for results in full. Length of study number of days was not significantly related to effects on daily energy intake and analyses examining non-linearity were also non-significant, as in the primary analyses see online supplementary materials.

Forest plot for analyses limited to studies which manipulated energy density for all foods served. Length of study was not significantly related to effects on daily energy intake. For analyses examining potential non-linearity, results were largely consistent with the primary analyses.

See online supplementary materials. Forest plot for analyses limited to studies which manipulated energy density of some but not all foods served.

Results remained significant with removal of outliers. For studies that provided complete data i. There was a small increase in kcals consumed after consuming lower vs. Results were similar in sensitivity analyses. Serving lower energy dense vs. higher energy density foods significantly reduced daily energy intake and this effect was statistically large.

Studies with the most pronounced differences in energy density produced the largest changes to daily energy intake i. a dose-dependent response and studies which manipulated the energy density of all foods served produced larger effects on daily energy intake than studies that did not manipulate all foods.

The impact energy density had on daily energy intake was similar among males vs. females and in adults vs. children, as decreases to energy density resulted in relatively large reductions to energy intake that were of similar size across these participant groups.

Studies tended to manipulate energy density by either altering macronutrient content e. by increasing water content and both manipulations produced similar sized effects on daily energy intake. Due to the available data, we were unable to examine whether distinct macronutrient manipulations e.

replacing fat with protein as opposed to carbohydrate affected daily energy intake differentially. However, over and above absolute changes to energy density, any nutrient specific effects may be relatively subtle [ 14 ]. Due to the satiety-providing effects of protein, decreasing energy by increasing protein content may have a more pronounced effect on daily energy intake [ 65 , 66 ], but evidence is mixed [ 67 , 68 ].

We found consistent evidence that the relationship between energy density and daily energy intake was strong and linear. Consistent with this, among studies that manipulated energy density for some but not all food served, analyses suggested that for every fewer kcals of food served to participants due to reduced energy density , daily energy intake was reduced by approximately 77kcals.

Furthermore, in these studies participants consumed approximately kcals fewer during the lower vs. higher energy dense meals but increased their later ad-libitum energy intake from non-manipulated foods by a non-significant 35kcals.

Therefore, unlike manipulation of food product portion size for which more substantial compensation appears to occur [ 39 ], there is minimal evidence of energy intake compensation in response to manipulations of food energy density.

An implication of the present findings is that public health policies which reduce energy density of food being sold e. through voluntary industry reformulation or mandatory action are likely to be more effective in reducing daily energy intake than policies which target portion size alone.

Furthermore, the finding that greater changes to energy intake were observed when energy density of multiple meals was manipulated suggests that policies which result in widespread reductions to energy density may be particularly effective in decreasing daily energy intake.

We found some inconsistent evidence that the length of time energy intake was measured for moderated findings, whereby effects of energy density on daily energy intake were smaller among studies with longer duration in our main analysis.

However, the statistical significance of this effect was dependent on the exclusion of outliers from analyses and this association was not observed when studies that manipulated all foods vs. did not were analysed separately. This finding may indicate that over time consumers learn about the energy density of food served and adapt their food intake, but this adaptation is only partial.

A small sub-set of studies examined change in body weight and although after being served lower vs. energy dense foods participants tended to lose more weight, this difference was not statistically significant.

Although previous studies that have directed participants to reduce energy density through dietary advice provide evidence for significant changes to body weight [ 1 , 26 ], the effect of reformulating the energy density of foods on body weight therefore remains less clear.

Future research will therefore be needed examining the effect that manipulations of energy density have on body weight in order to understand whether mass reformulation of the energy density of food products is likely to benefit population level obesity.

Contrary to suggestions that humans may be more sensitive to changes in energy density to less energy dense foods [ 24 , 25 ], we found no evidence that the impact of reducing energy density of food served was non-linear in nature; studies comparing two low energy density conditions e.

Further research directly addressing this question will now be important because public health approaches would presumably target reformulation of highly energy dense foods, as opposed to food products that are already relatively low in energy density. Included studied predominantly manipulated energy density of food products and meals.

Because of this conclusions from the present review should not be extended to beverages. There have been some suggestions that energy density of food may make a more significant contribution to obesity than energy density of beverages [ 69 ].

More recent experimental studies provide convincing evidence that decreasing the energy content of beverages e.

by substituting sugar for lower calorie artificial sweeteners decreases daily energy intake and likely promotes weight loss [ 70 ]. There are strengths and limitations to the present research. We followed best practice guidelines for systematic review methodology and attempted to identify eligible published and unpublished articles using a combination of supplementary methods including grey literature searching and contact authors of eligible articles.

Methodological quality of included studies was variable, but studies tended to be well-reported, few were of very small sample size and most study designs addressed demand characteristics. We assessed whether a range of potential risk of bias indicators affected results in sub-group analyses and found little convincing evidence that risk of bias indicators predicted study outcomes.

As discussed, study durations were relatively short and the artificial nature of the laboratory settings used in most studies increases confidence in experimental control but at the expense of ecological validity [ 34 , 71 ].

It is also important to note that a number of included studies allowed participants to consume foods and meals outside of the laboratory and later self-report this intake, and in these studies the effect of manipulating energy density of food served in the laboratory on daily energy intake was still sizeable.

As noted, the relatively short duration of studies is a limitation and it may be that over longer time periods, the post-ingestive consequences of lower energy density foods would result in dietary learning. However, it is not clear how long foods would need to be consumed for, as in one study repeated daily exposures of higher vs.

It should also be noted that we detected evidence of funnel plot asymmetry which may be indicative of publication bias. However, this appears to have been largely caused by there being a number of studies that had particularly large manipulations to energy density which would be expected to cause large decreases in daily energy intake and therefore contribute to asymmetry.

A final limitation was that we were only able to examine a small number of participant characteristics in moderation analyses sex, age. child sample studies. It may be the case that there are other characteristics e. BMI, socioeconomic status or participant traits e.

satiety responsiveness that moderate the effect reducing energy density has on daily energy intake. Because a large number of the included studies sampled largely healthy weight young adults recruited from university campus settings, further research to examine the generalisability of the present findings would be informative.

Experimental studies indicate that decreasing energy density of food products has a strong and largely linear effect on daily energy intake, although effects on body weight are less clear and warrant further study. Reformulation of the energy density of food products may be an effective public health approach to reducing population level energy intake.

Rolls BJ. Dietary energy density: applying behavioural science to weight management. Nutr Bull. Article CAS PubMed PubMed Central Google Scholar. Hardman CA, Ferriday D, Kyle L, Rogers PJ, Brunstrom JM. So many brands and varieties to choose from: does this compromise the control of food intake in humans?

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Am J Prev Med. Article PubMed Google Scholar. Prentice AM, Jebb SA. Fast foods, energy density and obesity: a possible mechanistic link. Obes Rev. Rouhani MH, Haghighatdoost F, Surkan PJ, Azadbakht L. Associations between dietary energy density and obesity: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies.

Stelmach-Mardas M, Rodacki T, Dobrowolska-Iwanek J, Brzozowska A, Walkowiak J, Wojtanowska-Krosniak A, et al. Link between food energy density and body weight changes in obese adults. Ledikwe JH, Blanck HM, Kettel Khan L, Serdula MK, Seymour JD, Tohill BC, et al. Dietary energy density is associated with energy intake and weight status in US adults.

Karl JP, Roberts SB. Energy density, energy intake, and body weight regulation in adults. Adv Nutr. The relationship between dietary energy density and energy intake. Physiol Behav. Mendoza JA, Drewnowski A, Christakis DA.

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Bell EA, Castellanos VH, Pelkman CL, Thorwart ML, Rolls BJ. Energy density of foods affects energy intake in normal-weight women. Bell EA, Rolls BJ. Energy density of foods affects energy intake across multiple levels of fat content in lean and obese women.

Blatt AD, Roe LS, Rolls BJ. Hidden vegetables: an effective strategy to reduce energy intake and increase vegetable intake in adults. Sex and gender exist on spectrums. Click here to learn more. Calories come from :. People trying to gain weight should try to incorporate more calorie-dense foods to accomplish their goals.

Alternatively, those seeking to lose weight may wish to limit the amount of calorie-dense foods they consume. Humans need calories for survival because they provide our bodies with the energy needed to fuel metabolic pathways, physical movement, and critical thought.

Research suggests that the average adult female needs 2, calories each day to maintain their weight while the average adult male needs 2, calories each day. However, the exact number of calories a person needs to maintain their weight is unique to them based on a variety of factors, including:.

When a person consumes more calories than their body needs, they will store the extra energy as adipose tissue or body fat. Alternatively, if a person consumes less energy than their body needs, the body will use stored fat for energy, and that person will lose weight.

Some people may want a larger frame, have a medical condition, or need to gain weight while recovering from an illness. People who have experienced a severe burn injury may also lose a significant amount of weight. Sometimes people may want to gain muscle mass. Bodybuilders are another group of people that frequently aim to put on weight.

There are certain health risks associated with being underweight. These include:. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC suggests that people use their body mass index BMI to determine if they are underweight, at an expected weight, or overweight.

It is worth noting that there are some limitations to BMI. It does not measure overall fat or muscle content. If a person is concerned about being underweight or their weight in general, they should speak with their primary care physician, who may refer the person to a registered dietitian.

There are many calorie-dense foods, making incorporating these foods into the diet a fairly easy task. Some examples of calorie-dense foods include:. Many calorie-dense foods are highly processed, high in fat, and low in nutrients such as vitamins and minerals.

It is important for a person to pay attention to the quality of food they consume to ensure the body is getting enough of the nutrients it needs to perform at an optimal level. Alcohol also contains calories, but people should avoid consuming it in excess. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, — suggest that female adults consume no more than one alcoholic beverage a day and male adults consume no more than two alcoholic beverages a day.

In the United States, an alcoholic beverage serving consists of around 14 g of pure alcohol. The following are the equivalents of one serving:. While most people think of nutrient-dense foods as containing high quantities of vitamins and minerals, they can also contain other health-promoting components such as antioxidants, amino acids, and essential fatty acids.

This is why nutrient-dense foods help decrease the risk of heart disease , type 2 diabetes , and other diet-related chronic illnesses. When a person wants to increase their caloric intake, it is still important to consume nutrient-dense foods. However, many nutrient-dense foods are also very low in calories, which poses a challenge.

Calorie-dense foods are foods that contain high amounts of calories relative to their weight. Some examples of calorie-dense foods include full-fat dairy products, fatty beef, oils, nuts, and seeds.

Not all calorie-dense foods are also nutrient-dense, so people trying to gain weight need to be mindful of the quality of foods they choose to consume. When a person eats or drinks, they get energy from calories, which are units of energy found in food and drinks.

Everybody needs calories to survive…. Here, learn how counting calories and considering portion sizes can help a person reach weight and fitness goals. Also, find tips and tools that can…. The number of calories the body burns while a person is walking varies according to their sex, body size, and how fast they are walking.

When you stick to the concept of energy density, you don't have to feel hungry or deprived. By including plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grains in your diet, you can feel full on fewer calories. You may even have room in your diet for a sweet on occasion. There is a problem with information submitted for this request.

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Products and services. Weight loss: Feel full on fewer calories Choosing foods that are less calorie dense — meaning you get a larger portion size with a fewer number of calories — can help you lose weight and control your hunger. By Mayo Clinic Staff.

Enlarge image Close. High energy density vs. low energy density Foods high in energy density include fatty foods such as french fries. Thank you for subscribing! Sorry something went wrong with your subscription Please, try again in a couple of minutes Retry.

Show references Hingle MD, et al. Practice paper of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Selecting nutrient-dense foods for good health. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The American Heart Association Diet and Lifestyle Recommendations.

American Heart Association. Accessed Feb. Department of Health and Human Services and U. Department of Agriculture. Hensrud DD, et al. Energy, calories and weight. In: The Mayo Clinic Diet. Mayo Clinic. Hossein Rouhani M, et al. Associations between energy density and obesity: A systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies.

Dreher ML, et al. A comprehensive critical assessment of increased fruit and vegetable intake on weight loss in women. Smethers AD, et al. Dietary management of obesity: Cornerstones of healthy eating patterns. The Medical Clinics of North America.

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Find a doctor. Explore careers. Sign up for free e-newsletters. About Mayo Clinic. About this Site. Contact Us. Health Information Policy. Media Requests. News Network. Sometimes people may want to gain muscle mass. Bodybuilders are another group of people that frequently aim to put on weight.

There are certain health risks associated with being underweight. These include:. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC suggests that people use their body mass index BMI to determine if they are underweight, at an expected weight, or overweight. It is worth noting that there are some limitations to BMI.

It does not measure overall fat or muscle content. If a person is concerned about being underweight or their weight in general, they should speak with their primary care physician, who may refer the person to a registered dietitian.

There are many calorie-dense foods, making incorporating these foods into the diet a fairly easy task. Some examples of calorie-dense foods include:. Many calorie-dense foods are highly processed, high in fat, and low in nutrients such as vitamins and minerals.

It is important for a person to pay attention to the quality of food they consume to ensure the body is getting enough of the nutrients it needs to perform at an optimal level. Alcohol also contains calories, but people should avoid consuming it in excess.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, — suggest that female adults consume no more than one alcoholic beverage a day and male adults consume no more than two alcoholic beverages a day. In the United States, an alcoholic beverage serving consists of around 14 g of pure alcohol. The following are the equivalents of one serving:.

While most people think of nutrient-dense foods as containing high quantities of vitamins and minerals, they can also contain other health-promoting components such as antioxidants, amino acids, and essential fatty acids.

This is why nutrient-dense foods help decrease the risk of heart disease , type 2 diabetes , and other diet-related chronic illnesses. When a person wants to increase their caloric intake, it is still important to consume nutrient-dense foods.

However, many nutrient-dense foods are also very low in calories, which poses a challenge. Calorie-dense foods are foods that contain high amounts of calories relative to their weight. Some examples of calorie-dense foods include full-fat dairy products, fatty beef, oils, nuts, and seeds.

Not all calorie-dense foods are also nutrient-dense, so people trying to gain weight need to be mindful of the quality of foods they choose to consume. When a person eats or drinks, they get energy from calories, which are units of energy found in food and drinks.

Everybody needs calories to survive…. Here, learn how counting calories and considering portion sizes can help a person reach weight and fitness goals.

Also, find tips and tools that can…. The number of calories the body burns while a person is walking varies according to their sex, body size, and how fast they are walking. Learn more…. What are micronutrients?

Read on to learn more about these essential vitamins and minerals, the role they play in supporting health, as well as…. My podcast changed me Can 'biological race' explain disparities in health?

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Medical News Today. Health Conditions Health Products Discover Tools Connect. What to know about calorie-dense foods. Medically reviewed by Jerlyn Jones, MS MPA RDN LD CLT , Nutrition — By Christine Richardson on January 28, Calorie-dense definition Caloric needs Increasing calories Examples Nutrient-dense foods Summary Many foods are high in calories, with fat containing the most per gram.

A note about sex and gender Sex and gender exist on spectrums. Was this helpful?