Empty-calorie foods are foods that contain a large number of calories but have a poor nutrient content. Often called "filler foods," these foods include those which contain high amounts of refined white sugar and white flour, such as candy, french fries, cakes, deserts, soda and beer. Eating a diet full of these types of foods can lead to medical conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and malnutrition as well as weight gain. These foods can be addictive as they often lead to cravings. You can avoid these foods by substituting them with foods with a higher nutritional content and lower calories.
Step 1
Minimize your intake of alcoholic beverages like beer, as they contain lots of sugar and no nutrients.
Step 2
Switch sugar-filled soda drinks with diet versions or stick to water. The average can of soda contains 140 to 165 calories, according to the website Fitness for Weight Loss. If you drink just one can of soda a day, and you replace that with the equivalent amount of water, you would be cutting out approximately 1,155 calories a week just by replacing soda with water. One pound of weight is equivalent to 3,500 calories.
Step 3
Replace sugary snacks like cakes and cookies with fruit. Replace savory snacks full of unhealthy empty calories, such as potato chips, with healthy, nutritious vegetables that are satisfying to snack on, such as celery and carrots. Also, add nutrient-dense nuts and seeds to your list of healthy snacks.
Step 4
Swap nutrient-empty white pasta and white rice for healthy, whole grain rice and pasta. Whole grain rice and pasta are full of vital nutrients and fiber.
Step 5
Add lentils and beans, which are full of nutrients and are filling, to your meals.
Tips and Warnings
- Include a regular exercise regimen as part of your everyday life to help you burn more calories than you consume. This will help with your weight loss goals as well as improve your overall health. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends that you take part in at least 2 1/2 hours each week of aerobic exercise that requires moderate effort. This can be split up over the week in 10-minute chunks to start with, and you can build on that as you get fitter. If you are not physically active, you are more likely to develop heart disease, high blood pressure or diabetes or have a stroke, according to the Department of Health and Human Sciences.
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