When cutting, the largest challenge often faced is the feeling of hunger. If you are constantly hungry, this will make being on low calories much more difficult. It is important to stick to your calories in order to lose fat but some may struggle with not going over their calories due to not feeling full.
Volume eating can solve this problem by filling you up with high volume foods that are not high in calories. When eating high volume foods, a lot of the space in your stomach is taken up and you feel full even though you have not consumed that many calories.
The following are the top 10 high volume foods that are key for adhering to a cutting diet and successfully dropping fat.
1. Egg Whites
The number 1 high volume food for a cutting diet is egg whites. While a whole egg is usually 60-70 calories, the whites of an egg are only 15-20 calories. This is because the 4-5g of fat per egg are all in the yolk. Fat is 9 calories per gram so by removing the fat from an egg, you still have the low-calorie high volume portion and retain most of the egg’s protein content.
The macronutrients of egg whites are 3-5g of protein, 0-1g of carbs, and 0g of fat.
2. Potatoes
Potatoes are generally regarded as the most satiating food. This is because they are a heavy food, contain resistant starches, and supply a protein (PI2) that may help with reducing appetite.
This study done on the satiety of different foods, found that boiled potatoes were by far the most filling food out of the 38 foods they used. Boiled potatoes are 80-90 calories per serving of 120g.
The macronutrient content of potatoes is 2-3g of protein, 15-20g of carbs, and 0-1g of fat.
3. Apples
Next, apples are a third, great high volume food for satiety as well as as nutrition.
Apples are 70-100 calories but are very filling due to their water and fiber content. Apples contain 4-5g of fiber which make it one of the highest fiber foods among fruits and vegetables. Apples are also good for you because they contain high amounts of antioxidants, vitamin C, and flavonoids.
The macronutrients of apples are 0-1g of protein, 25-30g of carbs, and 0-.5g of fat.
4. Oatmeal
Next after apples, is oatmeal. The best type of oats in terms of calories is steel-cut oats. Steel-cut oats contain 150-180 calories per 1/4 cup serving while regular oats are around 200 calories for that amount.
Oatmeal is a great high volume food because it’s high in antioxidants, iron, and fiber. It also has been shown to lower LDL cholesterol due to the soluble fiber it contains.
The macronutrient split of steel-cut oats is 8-10g of protein, 35-40g of carbs, and 3-5g of fat.
5. Blackberries
Fifth among the top 10 high volume foods is blackberries. Blackberries are a highly nutritious, low-calorie food that are one of the best fruits to eat when on a cutting diet. Blackberries are only 60-65 calories per 1 cup serving and are high in vitamin C, fiber, and vitamin K.
You could eat around 170 blackberries and that would essentially be the equivalent of eating 1 banana or 1-2 peaches. This means you could snack on blackberries for more than 10 minutes and still not consume as many calories that a single quick banana would require.
The macronutrients of blackberries are 1-3g of protein, 10-15g of carbs, and 0-1g of fat.
6. Lettuce
Next, lettuce is another high volume, nutritious food. It one of the lowest calories-per-serving vegetables. 1 cup of lettuce is only 4-6 calories.
Lettuce is also a good food to eat due to its folate, vitamin C, fiber, manganese, and other antioxidants. If you do not like lettuce, spinach is also high in volume and is only about 7 calories per 1 cup. Lettuce is great for cutting because you could eat an entire bowl without putting a dent in your allotted calories per day. This can satisfy your hunger and help you avoid the temptation of binging on other less nutritious and less filling foods.
The macronutrients of lettuce are 0-1g of protein, 1-1.5g of carbs, and 0g of fat.
7. Fish
Following lettuce, fish is a great high volume food which also supplies a large amount of protein.
The best low calorie, high volume kinds of fish are cod, tuna, and tilapia. Cod is 180-200 calories, tuna is 190-200 calories, and tilapia is 100-120 calories. Among these, tuna has the highest protein content.
The macronutrient split of tuna is 40-45g of protein, 0g of carbs, and 1-2g of fat. The macronutrients of cod are 40-42g of protein, 0g of carbs, and 1-2g of fat. And the macronutrients of tilapia are 20-25g of protein, 0g of carbs, and 2-3g of fat.
8. Popcorn
Next, popcorn is a good high volume food that does not have a high calorie requirement. Popcorn is also nutritious and contains fiber, polyphenols, and many other antioxidants. Popcorn on its own is 90-100 calories per 1oz serving. Many of the types of popcorn commonly sold at events and at movie theaters will have more calories due to added butter and oils but if you buy popcorn plain, it is very filling and there are no drawbacks to eating it.
The macronutrients of popcorn are 2-4g of protein, 20-25g of carbs, and 1-2g of fat.
9. Blueberries
Blueberries are another top 10 high volume food since they are very filling and do not have a high calorie content. The calories of blueberries are slightly more than blackberries, 80-85 calories per 1 cup serving, but are still lower than most other fruits.
The macronutrients of blueberries are 1-1.5g of protein, 20-25g of carbs, and 0-1g of fat.
10. Watermelon
A final, good high volume low-calorie food for a cutting diet is watermelon. Watermelon is 46 calories per 1 cup serving. Since watermelon is around 92% water, it is very filling and does not contain a high amount of calories. Watermelon is good for hydration as well as vitamin A and vitamin C.
Watermelon’s macronutrients are 1-2g of protein, 20-25g of carbs, and 0-1g of fat.
Summary
Eating high volume, low-calorie foods is great way to satisfy your need for food without eating more than the calories that you’re cutting on allow for.
The top 10 high volume foods for cutting are egg whites, boiled potatoes, apples, oatmeal, blackberries, lettuce, fish, popcorn, blueberries, and watermelon.
For more on dieting and cutting, such as the top 5 foods high in protein and low in calories and how to meal prep for muscle gains, click here.
