7 Low Calorie Filling Foods To Eat While Dieting
When you’re trying to lose weight, a big part of your success will be determined by how well you control your diet.
Now if you’re a regular reader of this blog, you should know that this doesn’t mean that you have to eat certain magical weight loss foods.
In the end, whether you lose or gain weight will come down to how well you’re controlling your energy balance; that is, the total amount of energy you take in (in the form of food) vs the total amount of energy you burn (mostly your BMR + any activity you do).
That being said, while you technically can eat anything as part of your cutting diet, as long as it fits into your calorie targets for the day, some foods are generally better than others.
And by better I mean that they provide more satisfaction, calorie for calorie.
These are the foods that are generally good to focus on when you’re dieting, since the total volume is high relative to the number of calories.
This means that you’ll feel like you’re eating more, your stomach will feel fuller – and you’ll altogether be more satisfied – compared to other more calorie-dense foods.
In addition, foods that are higher in protein and fiber are generally more filling, calorie for calorie, than various other options.
So in this article, I’m going to go over some of my favorite low calorie filling foods that you can use as part of your diet.
Let’s get right into it.
Popcorn
Now you may not think of popcorn as a particularly low calorie food…
And when you dump a whole bunch of butter on top, it definitely isn’t!
However, unbuttered popcorn is surprisingly low in calories compared to the amount that you get.
In 3 whole cups of popcorn you are looking at only around 100-130 calories.
It is also pretty high in fiber, which will help keep you feeling full.
I recommend this primarily as a snack food to help stave off any cravings between meals.
Nutrition info for 3 cups of unbuttered popcorn:
Calories: 100-120
Protein: 2 grams
Fat: 3 grams
Carbs: 16 grams
Fiber: 3 grams
Watermelon
This is a great summer option.
It is refreshing, tastes great, and only packs in 90 calories in 2 whole cups.
As you might expect from the name, watermelon consists mostly of water, which also helps to fill you up.
Nutrition info for 2 cups of cubed watermelon:
Calories: 90
Protein: 2 grams
Fat: 0.5 grams
Carbs: 23 grams
Fiber: 1.5 grams
Black Beans
Black beans are an excellent food that you can eat to fill yourself up without taking in too many calories.
They are packed full of fiber and complex carbs, so they’ll keep you feeling full for hours on end.
In addition, they contain a good amount of protein, which is also highly satiating.
Nutrition info for 1 cup of cooked black beans:
Calories: 200
Protein: 13 grams
Fat: 1 gram
Carbs: 36 grams
Fiber: 9 grams
Oatmeal
If you’re a breakfast eater, you can’t go wrong with a bowl of oatmeal to start your day.
It contains a filling blend of complex carbs, protein, fiber, and water, which should keep you going throughout the morning and help you avoid the temptation to snack.
You can even sprinkle on some blueberries or raspberries for an additional boost of flavor.
Nutrition info for 1 cup of cooked oatmeal:
Calories: 150
Protein: 6 grams
Fat: 2.5 grams
Carbs: 22 grams
Fiber: 4 grams
Potatoes
Compared to many of the other traditional carb choices (pasta, rice, etc), the humble potato is a great option if you’re looking to maximize volume with as few calories as possible.
Both sweet potatoes and regular baked potatoes are a good choice for this – they are mostly carbs, with some protein and fiber, and almost no fat.
Most importantly, they will keep you feeling full and satisfied, making you less likely to overeat.
Just don’t load them up with lots of extra toppings and pretend that they’re still a low calorie food!
Nutrition info for 1 medium baked potato without the skin:
Calories: 120
Protein: 3 grams
Fat: 0 grams
Carbs: 28
Fiber: 2 grams
Egg whites
Not everyone likes egg whites, and I wouldn’t pretend that they are as good as whole eggs, but they are a great low calorie, high protein food choice.
Yup, egg whites are pretty much 100% protein – very few carbs or fats at all.
What’s more, the type of protein in egg whites is slow digesting, which will help keep hunger at bay for hours after you’ve eaten them.
I’d recommend adding some spices, or eating them with hot sauce, to make things more interesting.
Nutrition info for 1 cup of egg whites:
Calories: 125
Protein: 26 grams
Fat: 0.5 grams
Carbs: 2 grams
Fiber: 0 grams
Broccoli (And Other Green Vegetables)
Now this list wouldn’t be complete without mentioning broccoli…
While this might not be the most ‘fun’ food, it is highly nutritious and very filling – especially for its calorie/volume ratio.
In fact, 1 cup of cooked broccoli only contains about 35 calories, making it one of the most filling low calorie foods on this list.
If you’re looking to make it a bit more interesting, I’d recommend eating it with parmesan sprinkled on top, or even some Sriracha if you like your spice.
Nutrition info for 1 cup of cooked broccoli:
Calories: 35
Protein: 2 grams
Fat: 0.5 grams
Carbs: 7 grams
Fiber: 3 grams