Are you struggling to lose weight?
Probably you haven’t realized that some of the foods you are eating have a high-calorie density. This means that with little amounts of food intake, they are making you gain weight.
Not being aware of this critical information for the foods you eat could be misleading because there are many healthy foods that have a high-calorie density.
In the end, this will become a critical factor to identify the best foods that burn belly fast.
What is calorie density?
In simple terms, it’s the number of calories divided by its weight (grams, pounds, etc.). Depending on where you live in the world and what unit of measures you are used to, you can divide the calories by the weight the food has.
In this case, we will be using grams as a reference. So for every food we mention, you will see the term calories/gram.
For our source of information, we used NutritionData.
Remember that there are different brands and categories (Ex. white rice, brown rice, long-grain, short-grain, etc.), so always check the nutritional facts/labels for the food you buy.
We also recommend that you check FoodData Central for more nutritional information if you are curious about other foods.
So why is calorie density so important?
Let’s use an example to see the effect.
What if you want to take a snack and you have 2 options.
- In door number one, you have an apple (182 grams).
- In door number two, you have a handful of almonds (182 grams, to be exact).
What door will you choose for weight loss purposes?
Just to be fair, both options are considered healthy but this is a very dramatic scenario just to make a point.
You probably selected the apple… right?
If you did, you are correct, this is the best option to lose weight because an apple has a calorie density of 0.52 cal/gr (95 calories for 182 grams).
Almonds, on the other hand, have a calorie density of
5.72 cal/gr
1,041 calories in 182 grams!
So yes, this example was used for dramatic effect, and this is probably not the food that will be affecting your weight. But there are many other foods that might not be so easy to figure it out.
At the same time, you might not be aware of some alternative foods that could help you shed some pounds.
So having a clear understanding of what is calorie density and why it’s so important will help you get results faster.
Having said that, let’s dive into the top 7 foods on our list, so you can start burning some belly fat!
Substitute For Carbohydrates
The carbs substitutes will probably be the hardest ones to change, but they will also be the ones with the biggest impact.
Make sure to try different recipes and make them work for you. You won’t regret it!
1. Cauliflower Rice
What is the calorie density for cauliflower?
0.25 cal/g
What is the calorie density for white rice?
1.29 cal/g
If you divide 1.29/0.25 you get 5.19. This means you can have at least 5 times as much cauliflower as you would have rice and get the same calories!
So using this example, if you eat 1 cup of cauliflower rice vs. 1 cup of white rice, you will save 104 calories per meal, but if you feel that 1 cup of cauliflower rice will not be enough to make you feel satiated, you could actually eat 3 cups of cauliflower rice instead of 1 cup of white rice. You still save 54 calories on that meal.
Remember the title of the article? We said we would show you how to eat more and lose weight. This is how!
What Other Benefits Do You Get?
- Vitamin C – 77% vs 0%
- Dietary Fiber – 3g vs 1g
You will not only lose weight with this substitute food, you will get healthier at the same time!
What other carbohydrate can you change?
2. Zucchini Noodles
What is the calorie density for zucchini?
0.16 cal/g
What is the calorie density for pasta?
1.31 cal/g
If we divided 1.31/0.16 we get 8.19. So you could have 8 times as much zucchini noodles and get less calories.
Are you starting to see the impact of making this tweaks on your diet?
You should start looking down at your belly and say… Goodbye! Because we are only getting started.
What Other Benefits Do You Get?
- Vitamin C – 28% vs 0%
- Vitamin A – 4% vs 0%
- Dietary Fiber – 1g vs 0g
Substitute For Desserts – To Burn Belly Fast
If you have a sweet tooth, or you are the type of person that always needs to have a dessert after a meal, we’ve got you covered.
Some popular desserts are ice cream, doughnuts, cookies, cake, chocolate, or pie. All have a different amount of calories and macro composition.
The impact on your weight will vary depending on what you will be substituting it against. It was easy using rice and pasta because they are prevalent on a daily diet with carbs, but it will vary more with desserts.
We did some research and found an interesting chart in FatSecrets.
The average calorie density for desserts was 3 cal/g. You can use this number as a reference, but you should always check the nutritional facts for the food you eat.
So what is an excellent food option to have as a dessert?
3. Strawberries
What is the calorie density for strawberries?
0.32 cal/g
What is the calorie density for an average Ice Cream?
2.32 cal/g
Divide 2.32/0.32 you get 7.25. So you could eat 7 times as much cups of strawberries as cups of ice cream.
If you go with fruit as a dessert option, there are many alternatives, not just strawberries. We chose strawberries because they have more antioxidants and have fewer amounts of sugar (insulin spikes).
Having said that, here is a list of fruits with low calorie density you can choose from.
Fruits with low calorie density: (from low to high)
- Watermelon: 0.30 cal/g
- Peach: 0.32 cal/g
- Papaya: 0.43 cal/g
Fruits with high calorie density (to avoid):
Any other fruit will probably fall between the 0.5 cal/g and 1.0 cal/g. So they are still great options to have.
4. Yogurt
What is the calorie density for yogurt?
1.27 cal/g
As a matter of fact, this is a chocolate yogurt. If you go with greek yogurt the calorie density can go as low as 0.6 cal/g. We went with a higher calorie density option so you get your sugar cravings satiated.
What is the calorie density for a doughnut?
4.24 cal/g
As you see, the impact depends on what dessert you have and what you substitute it against. We are giving you some examples to see the impact, but you must always do your analysis.
What Other Benefits Do You Get?
- The most important one, probiotics. Eating yogurt will help you generate a healthy bacteria in your gut and will make you improve digestion. Not a fan of yogurt? Try taking probiotic supplements and get all the benefits!
- Vitamin A – 3% vs 0%
- Calcium – 10% vs 3%
Substitute For Snacks
Not everyone has a sweet tooth, but I don’t know that many people that go a full day without a craving for a snack.
Snacks are great if you can keep control of the portions. But in case you can’t, here are a couple of options you can try and stop worrying about the amounts.
5. Kale Chips
With kale chips we will have to take a different approach.
Analyzing nutritional facts/labels is not as accurate as we would like because it depends on how the chips are prepared or cooked. Buying them at the grocery store will not give you a calorie deficit, you will have to make them at home.
Here is an easy recipe so you can start with. Its basically 10 minutes preparing and 10 minutes baking with a little bit of salt and olive oil. That´s it!
A bag of potato chips at the grocery store will have a calorie density from 3 – 5 cal/g.
Homemade baked chips will have a calorie density from 1 – 3 cal/g.
Great options to make baked chips at home are:
- Beets
- Zucchini
- Potato
- Sweet Potato
- Apple
Air Fryer is another way to go, just make sure not to add too much olive oil.
6. Carrots And Celery
Ok, confession time…
This is probably not the most popular option out there to have as a snack, but once you see the numbers, you’ll make it your favorite snack!
What is the calorie density of a carrot?
0.35 cal/g
What is the calorie density for celery?
0.16 cal/g
It doesn’t get any better than this!
The question is, can you have them without dip? That is a big if. And probably having some dip won’t be a problem but don’t overcompensate. If you can, try to get used to carrots and celery by themselves.
Substitute For Meats – To Lose Weight
Poultry and fish options are usually lean options to have. This means that no matter what type of poultry or fish you eat, they will probably have a low-calorie density and you should be ok eating any of them.
Now if you go with beef or pork option, they usually will have more calories.
So we only picked the most popular one because, what is life without bacon?
7. Turkey Bacon
What is the calorie density for turkey bacon?
3.82 cal/g
What is the calorie density for pork bacon?
5.48 cal/g
If you divide 5.48/3.82 you get 1.43.
Ok, this example is not as extreme as the others, so the recommendation with turkey bacon is having the same amount as pork bacon. Don’t eat more, eat the same and you will have a calorie deficit.
Additional Tips
- Add soups to your daily diet; they will make you feel satiated and help you not to overeat.
- Add salads before your lunch and dinner.
- Leafy Greens: Spinach, Lettuce, Kale, Arugula.
- Vegetables: Peppers, Onions, Tomatoes, Cucumber, Mushrooms.
- Add green smoothies in case salad is not your favorite choice.
- Be careful with the drinks you have. Avoid sodas and try to go with safe options like water, sparkling water, coffee, tea (unsweetened).
If you follow all the steps on this post, you could expect to save from 300 – 500 calories a day. This will be the equivalent of 1 to 2 pounds a week. The benefit is you are eating healthier options (more nutrients), you will eat food with less glycemic load (fewer sugar spikes) and still be on a weight-loss track.
