volume-foods

Volume Foods and How to Include Them in Your Health Plan

Volume foods are foods high in water and fiber that help you feel full with fewer calories. They are ideal for weight management, hydration, and controlling appetite.

Why Volume Foods Help

• They add bulk to meals with few calories.
• They help control appetite and prevent overeating.
• They support hydration when foods have high water content.

Examples of Volume Foods

Fruits

• Watermelon, berries (strawberries, blueberries), oranges, apples with skin, grapes

Vegetables

• Lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, bell peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, carrots, celery

Soups and Broths

• Vegetable-based broths, lentil soup, bean soups without heavy cream

Other High-Water Options

• Salads, smoothies with lots of ice or water, oats cooked with extra water

Legumes

• Lentils, chickpeas, black beans, white beans, edamame

How to Include Volume Foods in Meals

Meal Structure

• Start with a volume base: Begin meals with a big salad or soup to set a fullness foundation.
• Fill half your plate with non-starchy vegetables at lunch and dinner.
• Use volume foods for snacks: Opt for veggie sticks, fruit, yogurt with fruit, or legumes like chickpeas or lentils.

Breakfast Ideas

• Oatmeal: Cook oats with water or milk and top with fruit or legumes like mashed chickpeas.
• Smoothies: Blend fruit with lots of ice and add a scoop of Greek yogurt or a portion of lentils for extra protein.

Lunch Ideas

• Salad: Large leafy green salad with cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, beans, and chickpeas.
• Dressing: Use olive-oil vinaigrette on the side.

Dinner Ideas

• Vegetable Soup: Pair with a side salad and lean protein (chicken, fish, tofu). Add lentils or beans for extra volume.
• Legume-Based Bowls: Mix cooked lentils or chickpeas into a quinoa or rice bowl with steamed vegetables.

Snacks

• Carrot or Cucumber Sticks: With a light dip or hummus made from chickpeas.
• Fruit: An apple or a cup of berries.
• Legume Snacks: Roasted chickpeas or edamame for a crunchy, high-volume snack.

Legumes in Meals

• The “Half-and-Half” Swap: Replace half of the ground meat in dishes like Bolognese or chili with cooked lentils or black beans.
• Thicken Soups: Stir red lentils into soups to create a creamy texture without cream.
• Bulk Up Grains: Mix a can of rinsed chickpeas or cannellini beans directly into rice pilafs or large salads.
• Blend for Creaminess: Puree white beans into mashed potatoes or smoothies for added volume.
• Roast for Crunch: Toss edamame or chickpeas with spices and roast them to use as a high-volume, crunchy topping.

Sample Day Plan

• Breakfast: Oats cooked with water, topped with berries and mashed chickpeas.
• Lunch: Large salad with greens, cucumber, tomato, peppers, beans, and chickpeas; dressing on the side.
• Snack: An orange or a cup of berries, or roasted chickpeas.
• Dinner: Vegetable soup with a side salad and grilled protein, plus a side of lentils.

How to Shop for Volume Foods

• Fresh Vegetables: Lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, spinach, zucchini.
• Fresh Fruit: Berries, apples, oranges, melon.
• Legumes: Lentils, chickpeas, black beans, white beans, edamame.
• Pantry Staples: Beans, lentils, low-sodium broth, oats.

Notes and Tips

• Increase fiber and water gradually to avoid gas or bloating.
• If you have kidney or other health concerns, check with a clinician about high-fiber or very high-water foods.
• This approach is about fullness, not deprivation. You can still enjoy protein and healthy fats in balanced portions.

Remember

Volume foods help you feel full and hydrated with fewer calories. Use them as the foundation of meals, then add protein and healthy fats in moderate amounts.

Source guidance: general nutrition principles emphasize high-water, high-fiber foods for satiety and weight management.

Related video: The World’s Most Filling Diet

YouTube: https://youtu.be/z9cd8jJqELw?is=Gab0voK3oIViC6Bg

Summary

The video documents a 30-day experiment in which two participants follow a highly structured, filling-diet plan without counting every calorie. Each meal must fit into a large designated bowl and include three elements: a protein source, a volume food such as vegetables or fruit, and one measured serving of fat. The plan also excludes snacks between meals and allows low-calorie sauces, sweeteners and seasonings.

The presenter explains the approach using the idea that food volume and stomach stretching contribute to feelings of fullness. The participants are encouraged to choose lean proteins and high-volume, low-calorie foods, while measuring fats because they contain more calories in a smaller amount of food. Later strategies include a carbonated drink with meals, broth before or as part of a meal, and smaller cutlery to slow eating.

After 30 days, the participants report substantial weight loss while scans indicate that most of the loss was fat and that muscle was preserved during the experiment. The video reports that Melody lost just over 8 pounds and reduced body fat from 32.5% to 29.7%, while Manson lost 10.4 pounds and reduced body fat from 24.7% to 20.7%. These are results from two people in a short, controlled experiment, not proof that the exact plan will work in the same way for everyone.

Practical evaluation

The most useful general lessons are:

• build meals around protein and high-volume foods;
• include vegetables or fruit for fibre and bulk;
• measure calorie-dense fats rather than assuming a small portion has few calories;
• use variety so the plan remains nutritionally adequate and psychologically sustainable;
• continue resistance training when fat loss is intended and muscle retention matters;
• judge progress using trends and, where appropriate, waist measurements or other measures rather than one isolated scale reading.

The strict bowl rule, no-snacking rule, mandatory carbonated drinks, broth requirement and very small cutlery should be treated as experiment-specific techniques, not universal requirements. The video also shows possible disadvantages: boredom, social inconvenience, cravings, fatigue and concern about losing weight too quickly. Bone broth may contain substantial sodium, which can temporarily affect water retention and scale weight. Anyone with kidney, blood-pressure, gastrointestinal or other relevant health concerns should check dietary changes with a qualified clinician.

This note is general information, not a personalised medical or nutrition prescription. The video is an entertaining case study and its results should not be generalised from two participants to the wider population.