Volumetrics is a diet plan based on the concept that most diets fail because their users too often go hungry, discouraging them and eventually causing them to give up. First described in 2000 by nutritionist Barbara Rolls, Ph.D. in her book, "The Volumetrics Weight-Control Plan," foods in the Volumetrics diet are divided into four categories based on their caloric density.
Very Low-Energy-Dense Foods
Rolls classifies foods that contain fewer than 0.6 calories per gram as very "low-energy-dense." Key examples cited throughout Rolls' work include all fruits and virtually all vegetables, excluding some of the starchier varieties like potatoes. Meatless, broth-based soups and skim milk also fall into this category. This category also includes many caloric beverages like beer and soft drinks, but because these drinks deliver calories without contributing to a feeling of fullness, they should be consumed sparingly. Fruits, especially watery fruits like melons, are great food choices from this category because they can make you feel very full without delivering too many calories. You can and should eat lots of foods from this category on the Volumetrics diet.
Low-Energy-Dense Foods
Low-energy-dense foods have more than 0.6 and up to 1.5 calories per gram, and include foods like low-sugar breakfast cereals, oatmeal, brown rice, lean meats, beans, cottage cheese and mixed green salads with low-fat dressing. Recipes that largely incorporate ingredients from this category also tend to classify as low-energy-dense. Because they are more filling than foods in the previous category but still relatively low in calorie density, Rolls recommends that most daily food choices come from this category. While you can eat large portions of low-energy-dense foods, you shouldn't eat them in unchecked amounts, as you can generally do with very low-energy-dense foods.
Medium-Energy-Dense Foods
Foods in the medium-energy-dense category have more than 1.5 calories and up to 4 calories per gram. Examples from this category include all but the most lean meats and skim cheeses, 2% milk, full-fat salad dressings, dried fruits, bagels and lighter salty snacks. Portion size is very important with foods from this category, and Rolls recommends that you carefully consider where any given food falls on this calorie-per-gram spread. Foods closer to four calories per gram should be consumed sparingly and in small amounts, while those closer to the lower end of the spectrum can play a larger role in your meals.
High-Energy-Dense Foods
Foods with more than four calories per gram are considered high-energy-dense, and should be consumed in very small amounts, if at all. Some of the foods in this category, such as cookies, brownies, candy, butter, cooking oils and full-fat condiments, are both high-calorie and not very nutritious. For this reason, it's best to avoid these foods to the greatest extent possible, but moreover important to limit your portion size on the occasions you do consume them. Other high-energy-dense foods like nuts and some baked crackers are both calorie dense and nutritious, so you should strive to incorporate limited amounts of those foods instead to fulfill intake from this category.
References
- "The Volumetrics Weight-Control Plan"; Barbara J. Rolls, Ph.D., Robert A. Barnett; 2000
- "Volumetrics: Feel Full on Fewer Calories"; Barbara J. Rolls, Ph.D., Robert A. Barnett; 2000
- "The Volumetrics Eating Plan: Techniques and Recipes for Feeling Full on Fewer Calories"; Barbara J. Rolls, Ph.D.; 2007
