Volumetrics: Great Big News for Big Eaters

I love this very visual concept. I was watching TV the other day and saw some national diet company advertising their new way of eating called Volumetrics but in fact this term was coined by a nutritionist called Dr. Barbara Rolls back in 2000. The Volumetrics plan is all about eating lots of healthy food with emphasis on fibrous fruits and vegetables which are big in volume yet low in calories. We often talk about eating foods that are calorie-dense (packed with a lot of calories for their size) but that's not an image that easily sticks in one's head.

People who really need to diet often do not enjoy going on a diet because they think that it will mean eating piously and having an empty stomach. But eating healthfully doesn't mean going hungry. And lots of vegetables on a plate can be quite filling. As long as there is a balance of a protein source and enough healthy fat to accompany it, a large plate of veggies can keep even big eaters feeling satisfied for many hours.

To demonstrate, which would fill you up better: this small slice of pizza?


...or this huge salad?


They probably amount to around the same amount of calories, although NOT if you add a lot of salad dressing to the veggies. And I don't know about you, but I have rarely eaten just one slice of pizza. It goes down so quickly - sometimes you hardly need to chew - that it seems like too short a meal with only one piece. Whereas a very large salad requires a lot of chewing, and chewing, and lots of cutting of pieces with a knife, and then more chewing. After 20 minutes of that, you're likely full.

So I encourage all dieters - and everyone else of course! - to stick with the veggies. They're your best friend.