Volumize Your Meal Portions. Maximize Satisfaction While Minimizing Calories

Posted by Nick Niesen on October 26th, 2010

Eat more…and weigh less?

For many, it's a concept that flies in the face of conventional dieting wisdom. Yet that's exactly what the scientifically sound Volumetrics approach to healthy eating advocates by encouraging people to abandon a "dieting" mindset and instead enjoy generous amounts of delicious, nutritious foods.

"'Eat less' is not always the best strategy," says Barbara Rolls, Ph.D., professor and nutrition researcher at Pennsylvania State University and author of "The Volumetrics Weight-Control Plan" and "The Volumetrics Eating Plan." "It's learning how to eat satisfying portions while managing your weight-and as a bonus, eating foods that are good for you."

"The Volumetrics Cookbook for Jenny Craig," a collaborative effort with Dr. Rolls, offers the following tips for incorporating low-calorie-density foods like fruits, vegetables, high-fiber foods and lean protein into your daily meals to fill you up-without filling you out:

• Start your meal with minestrone, tomato or rustic barley soup.

• Grill omega-3 fatty acid-rich fish twice a week and pair it with lots of vegetables.

• Choose whole grain or wheat-blended pastas to boost your fiber intake and increase satiety.

• Add seasonal berries to yogurt for a fresh fruit parfait.

• Keep the proportion of vegetables in your salad high, and reduce the amount of dressing, cheese and croutons.

A survey of 1,258 visitors to www.jennycraig.com revealed that 27 percent currently eat a soup or salad at lunch or dinner five to seven times per week. When told that eating such items before or instead of a meal might help them lose weight, nearly twice as many people-48 percent-indicated that they'd consider consuming them at that frequency.

Here's one of Dr. Rolls' signature salad recipes from "The Volumetrics Cookbook for Jenny Craig":

Volumetrics Salad

Combine 8 cups mixed salad greens; 1 cup peeled, shredded carrots; 1 cup diced celery; 1 cup cored, diced tomatoes; and 1 cup scrubbed, unpeeled diced cucumber in a large bowl. Add 6 Tbsp shredded, nonfat mozzarella cheese and 3/4 cup Italian Dressing* and toss well.

* Italian Dressing: Place 3 Tbsp white wine vinegar, 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, 1/4 tsp salt, pinch freshly ground black pepper, and 2 Tbsp water in a screw-top jar and shake vigorously until blended.

Yield: Four servings. Per serving: 100 calories, 2g fat, 5g protein, 16g carbohydrate