Good News!

Good News!
Eating fruits and vegetables helps people manage their weight! (Lose Weight)

To lose weight a person must eat fewer calories than what he or she expends. (I think we knew that)

People may not limit what they consume based on calories alone. Feeling full is one reason that people stop eating. Short-term studies indicate that the volume of food people eat at a meal is what makes them feel full and stop eating, rather than the calorie content of the food.

At the same calorie level, foods with low energy density (the relationship of calories to the weight of food) provided a greater volume of food, which may help people feel full at a meal while consuming fewer calories.

Translation: 100 grams of fresh broccoli has 34 calories (low in energy density), while 100 grams of plain spaghetti noodles has 157 calories (medium energy density) and 100 grams of bacon has 533 calories (high energy density).

Water and fiber increase the volume of foods and reduce energy density. In their natural state, fruits and vegetables have high water and fiber content and thus are low in calories and are low energy density.

Fruits and vegetables are good substitutes for foods of high energy density.

Many people believe that consuming high calorie foods will make them feel full, but a study by Duncan and colleagues1 provided contrary evidence. In their study 20 obese and nonobese people ate as much as they wanted over 5 days from a diet that alternated from low-energy-density (broccoli) to high-energy-density (bacon) foods. On the low-energy-density (broccoli) diet, the participants felt full with just 1570 calories per day. They needed 3000 calories per day to feel full on the high-energy-density (bacon) day.

Dietary fiber, regardless of source, has also been linked to weight regulation. A review summarizing the effects of high- versus low-fiber diet interventions found that the high-fiber diets in 20 of 22 studies resulted in weight loss.2 Using pooled data from 12 of the intervention studies that did no control energy intake, the authors found that the participants on the high-fiber diets lost significantly more weight than those on the lower-fiber diets. From those same studies it was found that an increase of 14 grams of fiber a day was associated with an average weight loss of 4.2lb over 3.8 months. These analyses highlight the importance of fiber-rich foods, such as fruits and vegetables, in weight reduction.

What does this mean for you?

To lose weight, people must eat fewer calories than they expend. Adding fruits and vegetables to an existing eating plan that supplies sufficient calories or has more calories than needed can cause the person to gain weight. Fruits and vegetables should be substituted for foods high in energy density.

To lower the energy density of foods, such as soups, sandwiches, and casseroles, substitute fruits and vegetables for some of the ingredients that have higher energy density, such as high-fat meats, cheese and pasta.

The way fruits and vegetables are prepared and consumed makes a big difference in their effect on weight. Techniques such as breading and frying, adding high-fat dressings and sauces and as part or a high-calorie dessert greatly increase the calorie and fat content of the dish even if it includes fruits and vegetables.

Whole fruit is lower in energy density and more satiating (full feeling) than fruit juices. Pulp-free fruit juices lose their fiber content in the process of juicing. For weight control purposes, the whole fruit contains more fiber and makes one feel fuller.

Are canned and frozen fruits and vegetables just as good as fresh? Frozen and canned fruits and vegetables are good options when fresh produce is not available. Consumers should be careful, however, to choose those without added sugar, syrup, cream sauces, or other ingredients that will increase calories, thereby raising their energy density. Additionally, consumers should be aware that frozen and canned fruits and vegetables sometimes contain added salt, which is not in fresh produce. Check your food labels.

Vegetables tend to lower in calories than fruit; thus substituting more vegetables than fruit for foods of higher energy density can be helpful in a weight management plan. It is recommended that people eat more servings of vegetables than fruits in a healthy eating plan.

If you are interested in reading the complete document, it is located in my learning library at my desk. 636-789-3372 ext 113 Carrie Weatherholt



Reference:
1Duncan KH, Bacon JA, Weinsier RL. The effects of high and low energy density diets on satiety, energy intake, and eating time of obese and nonobese subjects. Am J Clin Nutr 1983;37:763-7
2Howarth NC, Saltzman E, Roberts SB. Dietary fiber and weight regulation. Energy density of foods affects energy intake across multiple levels of fat content in lean and obese women. Am J Clin Nutr 2001;73:1010-1018