Food that lets you eat more while taking in fewer calories sounds a little like a dieting loophole, but new research suggests a low-fat vegan diet may do exactly that by filling the plate with foods that are naturally less calorie-dense.

In a 16-week randomized trial, overweight adults were assigned either a low-fat vegan diet centered on fruits, veggies, grains, and legumes or a control diet with no changes. Participants weren’t given calorie limits, and those eating vegan consumed about the same amount of food by weight while reducing the calorie density of their diets by roughly 30%. They also ate about 357 fewer calories per day, and greater reductions in energy density were associated with greater weight loss.

What the science says:

• Fruits, vegetables, and other plant foods tend to contain plenty of water and fiber, adding volume without a lot of calories.
• Participants increased their intake of vegetables and legumes while eliminating more calorie-dense foods like meat, dairy, and eggs.
• Because the amount of food they ate didn’t significantly decrease, they could still eat satisfying portions without deliberately restricting calories.
• Researchers found that lower dietary energy density was associated with greater weight loss.

The findings suggest weight management doesn’t necessarily have to revolve around counting calories or shrinking portions. Choosing more filling, lower-calorie foods may naturally reduce how many calories you eat while still leaving plenty on your plate. It’s a diet strategy where “eat less” doesn’t have to be on the menu.
Source: PCM.com